The Griffon News

 For Missouri Western the choice of a new athletic director is vital for the future the university.   The new athletic director will need to get moving forward in the advancement of the university. He or she will also need to keep student athletes graduation rates up. They will be replacing Mark Linder who did well at both of these.   Linder, while he was here, helped develop  the Max Experience, which helped produce the new basketball court and turf on the football field. In his five plus years, the graduation rate for student athletes increased by 62 percent. He was a high quality person that helped the athletic department greatly.   Thatís why picking the right candidate is vital for the university. They need to pick a candidate that will keep moving the university forward. The Griffons are on the verge of doing well in multiple sports. The sport they are closest in is football.   The Griffons are behind when it comes to stadiums. If you look at the stadium that Pittsburg State has, the press box is incredible to look at. The better stadium might entice better recruits to come and be a Griffon.   The new athletic director will also need to be a stand up person for the university. They need a person that will represent the university with pride. They donít need a person who is looking for a stepping stone job to a different job. They need to find a person that wants to develop an athletic program. Western needs a person that will stay around and make the athletic facilities and the athletic program better.   That is why I donít see a problem with the university taking their time and picking the right candidate. Some people think that the university has taken to long, I disagree. I think they need to take as long as they need to pick the right candidate.   Whoever they decide to hire, will have to meet expectations. They will need to get funding for the sports complex and they will need to keep the rest of max experience on track. Whoever the choice is, I hope they continue to move the athletic programs forward and give them the facilities to be successful.       Missouri Western is down to 27 candidates for the position. In my opinion I believe that Western needs to hire a candidate with experience. A person that has experience will be able to do the job better. The decision is vital for the university the right decision could catapult the university to greatness.