University of Houston President Renu Khator today appointed an 11-person committee to conduct a national search for the director of athletics position at the University of Houston.

The committee, chaired by Ken Bailey and Carl Carlucci, represents a cross-section of university life that typically interacts with university athletics. Bailey is an attorney, former UH quarterback and current fundraising campaign chairman for athletics, while Carlucci is executive vice president for administration and finance at UH.

"Along with our pledge to provide students with a top-tier educational experience and training that will make them globally competitive, we recognize that intercollegiate athletics are a vital aspect of a vibrant student life," Khator said.

"Athletics helps build leaders, unites the university community and creates excitement and passion throughout the campus and among alumni. We are committed to building an even stronger athletics program."

Assisting in the athletics director search is the Atlanta-based search firm of Parker Executive Search. Headed by Dan Parker, the firm is a global company with extensive collegiate experience, having worked with the NCAA and many universities, including the University of Georgia, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, the University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina.

The search committee is charged with:

• Assisting the search firm in preparing a desirable athletics director profile for UH
• Assisting the search firm in building a strong pool of candidates by nominating names to the co-chairs
• Interviewing final candidates
• Presenting strengths and weaknesses of the interviewees to the president

The search committee will be seeking a successor to 69-year-old David L. Maggard, who six days ago announced plans to retire as director of athletics, effective May 11.

Committee members are:

• Jacob Monty, UH System Board of Regents
• Wilhelmina E. "Beth" Robertson, UH donor and former chair of the Board of Regents
• Beth Madison, UH alumna and donor
• John O'Quinn, UH donor for whom the football field at Robertson Stadium is named, and former UHS Regent
• Michael Rierson, vice president for University Advancement
• Judie Lilie, chairwoman-elect, UH Alumni Association
• Richard Scamell, faculty representative
• Kenneth Fomunung, student representative
• Leroy Burrell, UH head coach, track and field, former U.S. Olympian and gold medal winner, and staff representative