WANLESS ROUNDS OUT FINALISTS HOPING TO BECOME SEMO AD

A man with 27 years of experience in athletic administration -- along with a coaching background -- rounds out the two finalists for the position of athletic director at Southeast Missouri State University.

Dr. Terry Wanless, the director of intercollegiate athletics at the University of North Dakota, was on the Southeast campus Wednesday to meet with coaches, administrators and the media.

The other finalist, Northwestern University associate athletic director Paul Kowalcyzk, was in Cape Girardeau last week.

Wanless said Wednesday that he believes his background as a coach -- he has been an assistant college football coach and a head college golf coach -- helps him relate to many of the coaches he deals with on a daily basis.

"I think it helps," he said. "I've been in the pits with them, so to speak. I've coached a large team sport and a small team sport. I know the difference between the two."

But, Wanless added, "Today's athletic directors are so much different than in the past. The position is a lot more business-oriented now. I started out as a coach but I've been able to pick up the other end of it."

Wanless has also served as athletic director at Towson State University in Maryland and at Western Carolina University. He has been the AD at North Dakota since 1990.

North Dakota fields an NCAA Division I hockey team but competes on the Division II level in all other sports. The school has one of the premier overall Division II athletic programs in the country.

Wanless realizes how important fund-raising is in the modern score of intercollegiate athletics.

"It's the key everywhere in America with intercollegiate athletics," he said. "The things we're doing at North Dakota are not unlike what's going on here. Like here, we're fortunate to have a community (Grand Forks) that is very passionate about sports."

Assessing the Southeast athletic programs as a whole, Wanless said, "As with any program, there are some great strengths and things that need to be worked on. I'm very pleased with what I've seen in gender equity areas. They have really made a commitment in that regard.

"Overall, my impression of what's going on here is very, very positive."

Southeast hopes to name its new athletic director in the next several weeks. Carroll Williams has been serving as interim athletic director since the spring of 1997.