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26 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED fident that Darrell and his crew and new coaches will turn that around next year. "So to hire an AD simply be- cause of football experience might put at risk everything else." Like Berghoff, Burke was ada- mant in his support for Hazell. "Mike and Mitch and I be- lieve Darrell Hazell deserves this swing at the plate and we think he'll demonstrate the work he's put in with his staff over the last three years will pay dividends," Burke said. "Bottom line is I'm behind Darrell Hazell 100 per- cent. I made that call with the blessing of the president and the Board, and it's done now. Let's support him." Berghoff said it is important that everyone knows that the university is committed to win- ning and that goes along with the next athletic director. "I am eager to let our can- didates know that they have a Board and a president that are committed to winning, have com- petitive backgrounds and apply that competitiveness to winning in all parts of the university, ac- ademics and athletics," Berghoff said. "We will not be happy until we are performing at the highest levels across the board in all our sports. "We sometimes get criticized thinking we care more about the academic image and not the athletic image, and that is just not true. We want both of those components achieving at a really high level." j Boiler Ties There is little telling whether the next athletic director will have a Purdue connection, but if he or she does, here are four with athletic administration experience that might war- rant consideration. Greg Christopher, Xavier West Lafayette native spent 10 years in Pur- due's athletic department in fundraising and administration (1997-2006). Has football ex- perience after seven years as AD at Bowl- ing Green, turning program around, and has served at high levels in NCAA committees. Has been with the Musketeers since 2013. Sherard Clinkscales, North Carolina State Serves as a senior associate at North Carolina State, though was a finalist for the AD job at Indiana State as of late February. The Indianap- olis native was Matt Painter's roommate while playing both basketball and baseball at Pur- due. Dr. Joni Comstock, NCAA Has seven years of athletic director experi- ence (UNC-Asheville and American U.) after her roles as a senior associate athletic director at Purdue. She now is an executive VP at the NCAA in Indianapolis, a position she has held since 2010. Jim Schaus, Ohio U. Grew up in West Lafayette while father Fred was men's basketball coach and administrator (1972-81). Purdue graduate with 18 years of experience as a Division I athletic director with the Bobcats and Wichita State. Since Schaus took over in 2008, Ohio has been to six bowls in past seven years.