Part of me doesn’t like the tight lid being kept on WVU’s search for it’s next athletic director. Nothing against those keeping this thing under wraps. It’s just that I’ve always like to find little leaks and tap them for valuable information … but that’s just me doing this job.

Another part of me finds the secrecy kind of commendable. There’s a lot happening, but there’s just not a lot emanating from within the parameters of the search. As far as WVU is concerned, that’s terrific.

There isn’t much of an update with regard to who is to be considered or who has applied. There have been applications and recommendations, but to say exactly/approximately who or how many is difficult. Why, even the names you do hear aren’t much different from who you first suspected.

The names and applications have flowed from the very beginning and it’s some of the first and most familiar names that have hung around just as long: Kentucky’s Deputy Director of Athletics Rob Mullens, Missouri Executive Associate Athletic Director Whit Babcock, Ohio Director of Athletics Jim Schaus and Joe Safety, the vice president of communications for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Additionally, at least two and maybe three people employed as athletic directors at schools in major conferences and at least one executive from professional sports have reached out to WVU.

The contact was made through an intermediary, though, as a way to protect the person from overtly seeking the job.

Add Oliver Luck, he of conspicuous absence on the screening committee, to the list of possibilities. That said, neither he, Safety nor the individual from pro sports has  NCAA experience — though, for all we know, the individual from pro sports could have an extensive NCAA background.

It just seems to me and to people I’ve spoken with that, given the uncertain climate for Big East/NCAA athletics, it’d be awful nice to nab someone who’s led an athletic department, who has experience at a table of presidents and ADs, who’s Rolodex is packed with names of people who can not only help, but also attest to that candidate’s competence via witnessing real-life qualifications.

And this is why the two or three not-named, sitting ADs are so intriguing. They’re from major conferences and they therefore know what’s happening to WVU and the Big East and to all college conferences right now. To them, it’s not intimidating or ominous at all … which is very promising. In a weird, though sensible way, WVU’s state of limbo has actually brought out some endearing possibilities

“I think those people are enthused about that and want to be part of that challenge,” a person told me. “If somebody didn’t want to be part of that challenge, I wouldnt’ be enthused about them personally. They’ve got to know this particular challenge and want to be a part of making it work for the best in the end.”