Updated: Check out these 12 possible candidates for Arizona Wildcats AD
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Some prospective candidates to replace Greg Byrne as athletic director at the University of Arizona.
Stephanie Rempe
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Stephanie Rempe
Who she is: Deputy director of athletics, Texas A&M
How long? Rempe has been with the Aggies since September.
Why she fits: Rempe, 45, is a former UA volleyball player who got her start in under then-Wildcats athletic director Jim Livengood. She served in a senior position at Washington before following AD Scott Woodward to Texas A&M. Rempe earned both undergraduate and master’s degrees from the UA.
Why she doesn’t: Rempe does not have any athletic director experience.
Notable: Rempe is married to former UA trainer Greg Remien
Hunter Yurachek
- James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle
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Hunter Yurachek
Who he is: Athletic director, Houston
How long? Yurachek (far right in photo) was named the Cougars’ athletic director in April 2015.
Why he fits: Yurachek is a rising star among athletic directors in the west, a former No. 2 at Houston who was promoted when Rhodes went to Missouri. Yurachek oversaw the building of the $120 million TDECU Stadium, and helped secure a 10-year, $15-million naming rights deal for the park. Yurachek is a fundraiser and a builder of buildings, which would seem to fit perfectly with Arizona’s needs.
Why he doesn’t: Yurachek has never worked west of Texas, and has never been an AD at a power-5 conference school.
Notable: Yurachek did, however, spend four years as Coastal Carolina’s athletic director. Arizona fans remember CCU as the team that beat the Wildcats in last summer’s College World Series.
Mike Ketcham
- Arizona Athletics
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James Francis
- University of Arizona
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James Francis
Who he is: Senior associate director of athletics/internal operations, Arizona
How long: Francis, a UA grad, has been part of the athletic department for nearly two decades, first as marketing coordinator and then in external relations. He oversees ticket sales and operations, marketing, creative services and community outreach. Francis has taught in the UA Eller Sports Management Program.
Why he fits: Francis has served under UA athletic directors Jim Livengood and Greg Byrne, and knows the way the department operates.His longtime connection to the UA helps, too.
Why he doesn’t: Francis has no athletic director experience.
Notable: Francis was a walk-on defensive back on the UA’s “Desert Swarm” teams of the mid-1990s.
Erika Barnes
- Stan Liu / Arizona Athletics
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Erika Barnes
Who she is: Interim athletic director, Arizona
How long: Barnes, 38, was named interim AD on Monday, but has been with the athletic department in various capacities since 2005.
Why she fits: Barnes, like Francis, rose from the marketing department to one of Byrne’s most trusted associates. She is a noted fundraiser and communicator who works well with the department’s largest donors. That she’s a Wildcat — Barnes played softball at the UA from 1997-2001, and is married to former Arizona golfer Andy Barnes — doesn’t hurt, either.
Why she doesn’t: Barnes has no athletic director experience.
Notable: Barnes interned at Ch. 4 and with Fox Sports after college, and spent years as Brian Jeffries’ color analyst on UA softball radio broadcasts.
Chris Hill
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Chris Hill
Who he is: Athletic director, Utah
How long? Hill has been Utah's AD since 1987.
Why he fits: UA president Ann Weaver Hart worked as a Utah professor and special assistant to the president during Hill's time as AD. Hart owns three degrees from Utah, and presumably has been tracking the Utes' transition from the Mountain West Conference to the Pac-12.
Why he doesn’t: Hill is a well-respected, longtime AD in the West who may not want to uproot everything to move. Hill is in his mid-60s, and it's unclear how much longer he plans to work.
Notable: Hill helped renovate Rice-Eccles Stadium in preparation for the 2012 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. His experience could come in handy at Arizona, which is looking to modernize Arizona Stadium.
Mack Rhodes
- Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press
- Updated
Mack Rhodes, Baylor
Who he is: Athletic director, Baylor
How long? Rhodes (in photo, on right) was named Baylor’s AD last July.
Why he fits: Rhodes is a Tucson native and UA grad, though he never worked full-time in the Wildcats’ athletic department.
Why he doesn’t: Rhodes is on his third job in two years. He served as Houston’s AD, where he hired coach Tom Herman. From there, Rhodes spent 15 months as Missouri’s AD.
Notable: Rhodes played basketball at Rincon High School.
Tom Jurich
- Timothy D. Easley / Associated Press
- Updated
Tom Jurich
Who he is: Athletic director, Louisville
How long? Jurich was named the Cardinals’ AD in October 1997.
Why he fits: Jurich is a California native who played football at NAU and later returned as the Lumberjacks’ AD. He had to be convinced to leave Flagstaff for Louisville; he initially resisted because it seemed too far away from his and his wife’s western roots. Jurich hired Rick Pitino as Louisville’s basketball coach and Bobby Petrino (twice) as the Cardinals’ football coach, proving he has the salesmanship and guts to land big-name coaches. That could come in handy at Arizona sooner or later.
Why he doesn’t: Jurich is well-paid and entrenched at Louisville. Pitino is one of his closest friends. And at age 60, he may be closer to retirement than another job.
Notable: Jurich played in one game for the New Orleans Saints, in 1978.
John Currie
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John Currie
Who he is: Athletic director, Kansas State
How long: Currie was named the Wildcats’ athletic director in June 2009.
Why he fits: Currie fits the Greg Byrne mold: He’s young (45), has overseen and department that’s expanded financially, and is seen as a stellar fundraiser. Currie served as Tennessee’s deputy director of athletics, handling finances, fundraising and facilities, before being hired at K-State.
Why he doesn’t: Currie has no connection to the West, or to Arizona.
Notable: Currie was one of only two college ADs named to SportsBusiness Journal’s 40 under 40 list of national sports leaders in 2011. The other? Byrne.
Marc Hill
- University of Kentucky
- Updated
Marc Hill, Kentucky
Who he is: Associate athletic director for Internal Operations, Kentucky
Why he fits: Hill is a former UA trainer. His wife is former Arizona Wildcat Jenny Dalton-Hill, the 1996 Women’s College World Series most valuable player.
Why he doesn’t: Hill's specialty is external relations, and its unknown whether the UA would pursue someone with no athletic director or fundraising experience.
Notable: Marc Hill is an ex-Wildcat who used to work in the Kentucky strength department. The Wildcats recently hired Mark (with a K) Hill, another former UA employee, to work with the … strength department.
Mark Harlan
- Chris O'Meara / Associated Press
- Updated
Mark Harlan
Who he is: Athletic director, South Florida
How long? Harlan was named the Bulls’ AD in March 2014.
Why he fits: Harlan is a 1992 UA grad and close friend of former Wildcats football coach Dick Tomey and his family. The two worked together when Tomey was at San Jose State a decade ago. Tomey served as an adviser to former USF football coach Willie Taggart two years ago.
Why he doesn’t: Harlan just hired former Texas coach Charlie Strong to replace Taggart, who was hired away by Oregon. He may want to stick around and see the hire, which has been universally praised, works out.
Notable: Harlan, then a UA graduate assistant, was in the stands the night Tomey played all nine positions in a single Tucson City League baseball game.
Chris Del Conte
- Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press
- Updated
Chris Del Conte
Who he is: Athletic director, TCU
How long? Del Conte (at left in photo) was named the Horned Frogs’ AD in October 2009.
Why he fits: Del Conte was a senior associate athletic director at the UA from 2000-2009, and was viewed by many as Jim Livengood’s eventual successor. Del Conte is a master fundraiser who has overseen more than $300 million worth of constructions projects to TCU’s athletic facilities. The Horned Frogs play in new (or renovated) football, basketball and baseball facilities. He was named the 2015 Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year.
Why he doesn’t: TCU has deep pockets and, with as a recent addition to the Big 12 Conference, motivation to keep its AD around. Its possible Del Conte could be too expensive for the UA.
Notable: Del Conte ran track at UC Santa Barbara.
Stephanie Rempe
Stephanie Rempe
Who she is: Deputy director of athletics, Texas A&M
How long? Rempe has been with the Aggies since September.
Why she fits: Rempe, 45, is a former UA volleyball player who got her start in under then-Wildcats athletic director Jim Livengood. She served in a senior position at Washington before following AD Scott Woodward to Texas A&M. Rempe earned both undergraduate and master’s degrees from the UA.
Why she doesn’t: Rempe does not have any athletic director experience.
Notable: Rempe is married to former UA trainer Greg Remien
Hunter Yurachek
- James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle
Hunter Yurachek
Who he is: Athletic director, Houston
How long? Yurachek (far right in photo) was named the Cougars’ athletic director in April 2015.
Why he fits: Yurachek is a rising star among athletic directors in the west, a former No. 2 at Houston who was promoted when Rhodes went to Missouri. Yurachek oversaw the building of the $120 million TDECU Stadium, and helped secure a 10-year, $15-million naming rights deal for the park. Yurachek is a fundraiser and a builder of buildings, which would seem to fit perfectly with Arizona’s needs.
Why he doesn’t: Yurachek has never worked west of Texas, and has never been an AD at a power-5 conference school.
Notable: Yurachek did, however, spend four years as Coastal Carolina’s athletic director. Arizona fans remember CCU as the team that beat the Wildcats in last summer’s College World Series.
James Francis
- University of Arizona
James Francis
Who he is: Senior associate director of athletics/internal operations, Arizona
How long: Francis, a UA grad, has been part of the athletic department for nearly two decades, first as marketing coordinator and then in external relations. He oversees ticket sales and operations, marketing, creative services and community outreach. Francis has taught in the UA Eller Sports Management Program.
Why he fits: Francis has served under UA athletic directors Jim Livengood and Greg Byrne, and knows the way the department operates.His longtime connection to the UA helps, too.
Why he doesn’t: Francis has no athletic director experience.
Notable: Francis was a walk-on defensive back on the UA’s “Desert Swarm” teams of the mid-1990s.
Erika Barnes
- Stan Liu / Arizona Athletics
Erika Barnes
Who she is: Interim athletic director, Arizona
How long: Barnes, 38, was named interim AD on Monday, but has been with the athletic department in various capacities since 2005.
Why she fits: Barnes, like Francis, rose from the marketing department to one of Byrne’s most trusted associates. She is a noted fundraiser and communicator who works well with the department’s largest donors. That she’s a Wildcat — Barnes played softball at the UA from 1997-2001, and is married to former Arizona golfer Andy Barnes — doesn’t hurt, either.
Why she doesn’t: Barnes has no athletic director experience.
Notable: Barnes interned at Ch. 4 and with Fox Sports after college, and spent years as Brian Jeffries’ color analyst on UA softball radio broadcasts.
Chris Hill
Chris Hill
Who he is: Athletic director, Utah
How long? Hill has been Utah's AD since 1987.
Why he fits: UA president Ann Weaver Hart worked as a Utah professor and special assistant to the president during Hill's time as AD. Hart owns three degrees from Utah, and presumably has been tracking the Utes' transition from the Mountain West Conference to the Pac-12.
Why he doesn’t: Hill is a well-respected, longtime AD in the West who may not want to uproot everything to move. Hill is in his mid-60s, and it's unclear how much longer he plans to work.
Notable: Hill helped renovate Rice-Eccles Stadium in preparation for the 2012 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. His experience could come in handy at Arizona, which is looking to modernize Arizona Stadium.
Mack Rhodes
- Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press
Mack Rhodes, Baylor
Who he is: Athletic director, Baylor
How long? Rhodes (in photo, on right) was named Baylor’s AD last July.
Why he fits: Rhodes is a Tucson native and UA grad, though he never worked full-time in the Wildcats’ athletic department.
Why he doesn’t: Rhodes is on his third job in two years. He served as Houston’s AD, where he hired coach Tom Herman. From there, Rhodes spent 15 months as Missouri’s AD.
Notable: Rhodes played basketball at Rincon High School.
Tom Jurich
- Timothy D. Easley / Associated Press
Tom Jurich
Who he is: Athletic director, Louisville
How long? Jurich was named the Cardinals’ AD in October 1997.
Why he fits: Jurich is a California native who played football at NAU and later returned as the Lumberjacks’ AD. He had to be convinced to leave Flagstaff for Louisville; he initially resisted because it seemed too far away from his and his wife’s western roots. Jurich hired Rick Pitino as Louisville’s basketball coach and Bobby Petrino (twice) as the Cardinals’ football coach, proving he has the salesmanship and guts to land big-name coaches. That could come in handy at Arizona sooner or later.
Why he doesn’t: Jurich is well-paid and entrenched at Louisville. Pitino is one of his closest friends. And at age 60, he may be closer to retirement than another job.
Notable: Jurich played in one game for the New Orleans Saints, in 1978.
John Currie
John Currie
Who he is: Athletic director, Kansas State
How long: Currie was named the Wildcats’ athletic director in June 2009.
Why he fits: Currie fits the Greg Byrne mold: He’s young (45), has overseen and department that’s expanded financially, and is seen as a stellar fundraiser. Currie served as Tennessee’s deputy director of athletics, handling finances, fundraising and facilities, before being hired at K-State.
Why he doesn’t: Currie has no connection to the West, or to Arizona.
Notable: Currie was one of only two college ADs named to SportsBusiness Journal’s 40 under 40 list of national sports leaders in 2011. The other? Byrne.
Marc Hill
- University of Kentucky
Marc Hill, Kentucky
Who he is: Associate athletic director for Internal Operations, Kentucky
Why he fits: Hill is a former UA trainer. His wife is former Arizona Wildcat Jenny Dalton-Hill, the 1996 Women’s College World Series most valuable player.
Why he doesn’t: Hill's specialty is external relations, and its unknown whether the UA would pursue someone with no athletic director or fundraising experience.
Notable: Marc Hill is an ex-Wildcat who used to work in the Kentucky strength department. The Wildcats recently hired Mark (with a K) Hill, another former UA employee, to work with the … strength department.
Mark Harlan
- Chris O'Meara / Associated Press
Mark Harlan
Who he is: Athletic director, South Florida
How long? Harlan was named the Bulls’ AD in March 2014.
Why he fits: Harlan is a 1992 UA grad and close friend of former Wildcats football coach Dick Tomey and his family. The two worked together when Tomey was at San Jose State a decade ago. Tomey served as an adviser to former USF football coach Willie Taggart two years ago.
Why he doesn’t: Harlan just hired former Texas coach Charlie Strong to replace Taggart, who was hired away by Oregon. He may want to stick around and see the hire, which has been universally praised, works out.
Notable: Harlan, then a UA graduate assistant, was in the stands the night Tomey played all nine positions in a single Tucson City League baseball game.
Chris Del Conte
- Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press
Chris Del Conte
Who he is: Athletic director, TCU
How long? Del Conte (at left in photo) was named the Horned Frogs’ AD in October 2009.
Why he fits: Del Conte was a senior associate athletic director at the UA from 2000-2009, and was viewed by many as Jim Livengood’s eventual successor. Del Conte is a master fundraiser who has overseen more than $300 million worth of constructions projects to TCU’s athletic facilities. The Horned Frogs play in new (or renovated) football, basketball and baseball facilities. He was named the 2015 Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year.
Why he doesn’t: TCU has deep pockets and, with as a recent addition to the Big 12 Conference, motivation to keep its AD around. Its possible Del Conte could be too expensive for the UA.
Notable: Del Conte ran track at UC Santa Barbara.
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