By 2013, Ed Pastilong will have made $675,000 as WVU’s Director Emeritus. Give this man a placque!

Pastilong, connected with WVU as a quarterback, recruiting coordinator, scholarship office and athletic administrator for 35 years now, will make $225,000 annually as director emeritus. He’ll receive a $100,000 retention incentive for staying on through June 30 and is due $125,000 in deferred compensation split into payments to be made in 2012 and 2013.

Now as for the next in line, we have some more names and possibilities.

Based on conversations and research that has extended for quite some time now, a few names with some merit that are interested in WVU or WVU is interested in have popped up: Jim Schaus, Oliver Luck, Whit Babcock, Rob Mullens and Joe Safety.

That said, that is absolutely not the list. Those are just a few names most commonly associated with the opening and there are and certainly will be more.

For example — and this is going to come across as completely arrogant, I know, but it illustrates a point — I know one person who is regarded in said person’s field. Said person would consider and like to be considered, but it hasnt reached that stage yet. Said person has wanted nothing to do with the publicity right now. 

Again, the point is not to speak from an ivory tower, but to say this is fluid and names will emerge now because A) Pastilong is officially outgoing and B) people can now take Point A and apply that to his/her current position. That is, if someone has a job now, he/she can now think about another job because WVU will be looking.

Expect the Mountaineers to find someone with experience. Not necessarily as AD, but at least in the realm. It matters now. Whoever gets the job is going to enter at an interesting time. There are capital projects, facility subjects and the never static coaching status of the varsity sports — raises, extensions, staff compensation, poaching by other schools, etc. — to name just a few of the obvious hurdles. Biggest of all, quite possibly, is conference expansion. Say the Big Ten grabs Pitt and/or Rutgers. Now the AD is in it. It’d help if the AD was familiar with the concept of conference affiliation/realignment.

Secondly, I don’t think it’d be a reach to say Jim Clements and WVU will put their stamp(s) on this. Duh, right? It’s a committee of Clements and others from WVU doing the search.

Still, if it’s someone Clements has worked with or knows and regards, that’s useful. Already he’s shown his own intuition by deciding to move on and managing to praise and glorify Pastilong in the process — not that he shouldn’t or wouldn’t, but there was a way to do this that could have really put the career of Pastilong in a less distinguished category than what Clements accomplished Wednesday. So that was a big step for the new president and, no matter who he’s hired in other capacities already, this one will resonate the most. I doubt seriously he’ll be swayed into a decision with which he is not comfortable.

However — and this should come as no surprise — it’d be a safe bet a past connection with WVU would and maybe should move a candidate a long way in the process. Right away, there’s one person who satisfies both these categories.

However, Clements made it very clear this search will go national and the athletic department is in a favorable position to attract and hire the best candidate. Fact is, WVU is (arguably? or definitely?) the premier football program in a BCS conference. Its athletic department turns profits. It’s “small” sports are successful. Boosters, alumni and other friends are extraordinarily generous. There is a lot to like and a lot to make even a sitting AD at one school leave for another. The hire doesn’t have to be an upstart or someone who’s been positioning for a chance to take the ball and run.