University of Washington president Mark A. Emmert — and a Syracuse alum — became the NCAA’s new chief executive on, ending the search that began in November and saw the emergence of University of Hartford President Walter Harrison among the frontrunners, The Associated Press reports.
Emmert succeeds Myles Brand, who died last September from pancreatic cancer. Brand was the first ex-university president to lead college sports’ largest governing body and the first chief executive to die in office. Jim Isch has served as interim president since Sept. 22 and will continue to do so for the next several months.
Emmert will begin his duties Nov. 1. NCAA officials said Emmert was given a five-year contract.
It was a surprise choice. The early front-runners were Harrison, Georgia president Michael Adams and NCAA executive Bernard Franklin.
But the NCAA decided to go in a different direction, opting for a man they thought could deliver the organization’s message effectively in any venue.
Harrison was not immediately available Wednesday for comment. But university spokesman David Isgur said Harrison had maintained all along that, while flattered to be considered, he was content to remain at the University of Hartford.
“We’re happy Walt will remain on board,” Isgur said.
NCAA executive committee chairman Ed Ray, the Oregon president who knew Emmert from his days at Washington, said the initial list of nearly 100 candidates was whittled to 32, then to a handful of finalists who were interviewed Tuesday afternoon.
At about 5 p.m. Indianapolis time, Ray called Emmert and offered him the job.
Emmert became Washington’s 30th president in June 2004. He is one of the highest-paid public college presidents in the nation. He came to Seattle from LSU, where he was chancellor.
A native of Fife, Wash., he graduated from Washington in 1975 with a degree in political science. He received his master’s degree in 1976 and his doctorate in 1983, both in public administration from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.
Â
