Four Other Names To Know During the USF Athletic Director Search

Now that Tampa Bay Sports Commission’s Executive Director Rob Higgins took his name out of the running for USF’s Athletic Director position, we must turn our attentions to who else is out there for the Bulls to replace former AD Mark Harlan and with everyone’s focus now squarely on former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker and Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, the search for the right person truly begins.

Dr. Bill Sutton, director of the Vinik Sports and Entertainment Management Program recently put together a six member committee to search for the new athletic director.

Search firm Eastman & Beaudine was hired to help with the process. They’re the firm at found Harlan and helped him with background during the hiring of head football coach Charlie Strong. E&B found out that Steve Masiello did not graduate from Kentucky only after Masiello signed the deal with USF to become their new head coach in 2014. They also helped with the hiring of former men’s basketball coach Orlando Antigua, which was a disaster.

So why exactly are they doing this again for USF? What value have they provided to the university so far? If you’ve figured that out, let us know, because we have no idea why this is happening.

Anyway, these are four names that the The Daily Stampede is hearing as possible options.

Joie Chitwood III- Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of International Speedway Corporation

Chitwood III is an alumnus of USF (MBA ‘95), is on the USF Foundation Board, and knows how to raise money to build stadiums, speedways, and more. He was the University of South Florida Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient in 2014, and was also the University of South Florida College of Business Celebration of Free Enterprise Honoree in 2005.

He was named the president of Daytona International Speedway in 2010 and oversaw the $400 million DAYTONA Rising project that turned the Speedway into the first motorsports’ stadium in the world. He was also at the center of the repaving of the track at Daytona in 2010.

Chitwood III served as the president and COO at International Motor Speedway and also got the Brickyard Crossing Inn and Brickyard Crossing Golf Course built during his tenure. Perhaps his most impressive construction undertaking was getting Chicagoland Speedway built in Joliet, Illinois when he served as the Vice President and General Manager of Raceway Associates, LLC from 2001-2003.

Elliott Charles- Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Services at Clemson

Much like Chitwood III, Charles is also an alumnus of USF (B.S. Management ‘05) and has extensive knowledge of how the department works and the quirks that come with this university.

He joined the USF staff in June of 2013 as the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance and was promoted to Associate Athletics Director for Compliance in May 2014 where he stayed on until being hired away by FAMU in January of 2016 to serve as the Deputy Director of Athletics. He took the job at Clemson in June of 2017.

Charles has previous stops with the MAC, University of Alabama, and Northern Illinois University with each job pertaining to compliance.

We’re also hearing he has been mentioned for the athletic director position at The Citadel.

Sean T. Frazier- Athletic Director, Northern Illinois University

Frazier hit the ground running when he took over the NIU job in July 2013 after spending the previous six years as the Deputy Athletic Director at Wisconsin.

In October 2014, Frazier announced a planned $138 million renovation, named the Athletics Facilities Master Plan, of Huskie Stadium as well as other aspects of the athletics department, including a new baseball stadium.

Despite the loss of former star quarterback Jordan Lynch in 2013 and sparser crowds, the school was able to increase its revenue from $189,000 per game to $224,000 per game due to the renovations at the stadium.

At Wisconsin, Frazier had a direct hand in raising $123 million for a new indoor softball facility, a student-athlete performance center, and a hockey and swimming facility.

He also played football at Alabama from 1987-1991.

Nick Carparelli-Director of College Sports, Under Armour

This one may seem strange, but Carparelli was a candidate for the Syracuse position back in 2016 after both DOCTOR Daryl Gross (TM our friends at TNIAAM) left and then when Mark Coyle took off to become the athletic director at Minnesota just three months after getting the Syracuse job.

Prior to joining UA in 2014, he was the senior associate commissioner of the Big East Conference and was the primary football administrator, overseeing operations, bowls, and officiating.

He helped create the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl, and the Miami Beach Bowl before his departure. He also worked for the New England Patriots as their director of operations during their first super bowl title in 2001 and had a stint at Notre Dame as well.

Carparelli sits on the Falk Sports Management Advisory Board at Syracuse where he earned his MBA in 1994.