Sheahon Zenger not on list of top athletic directors
By Stan Unruh
Most University of Kansas fans are thankful for Athletic Director Dr. Sheahon Zenger. A new poll does not include the man in charge of Jayhawk Athletics.
Since the turn of the century, Kansas Jayhawk fans have had their share of interesting Athletic directors. Dr. Sheahon Zenger is tame compared to Al Bohl or Lew Perkins. As a matter of fact, I think Zenger deserves far more credit than he receives. I don’t like every decision. On the other hand, I can’t imagine trying to juggle all of his responsibilities. It is a huge task.
A new poll compiled by Bruce Feldman in Sports Illustrated lists the nation’s best Athletic Directors. He considered a variety of factors in his anonymous survey of media members and among athletic directors. He wanted to find what makes these individuals good at their jobs and who were the best. The results surprised me.
Feldman considered issues that that make a good athletic director and wanted to know who did the best job. The Kansas Athletic Director is not included in the final result. Hundreds of athletic directors did not make that list so Dr. Zenger should not be disappointed. I’m sure he isn’t. Zenger is tops on coach Bill Self’s list. That’s all that matters.
Some names on the list did surprise me.
The list includes three Big 12 athletic directors and one former Big 12 AD. Joe Castiglione at Oklahoma is at the top of the list. His sales job to bring Lon Kruger to Norman is enough to convince me of his value. Obviously, there is more to it than bringing in a good coach and keeping him.
John Currie, the man who recently exchanged his purple tie collection for new Orange ties is on the list. As a matter of fact, Currie may not be everyone’s favorite but the man can raise money. I am surprised he made this list, considering some of the criticism he received after his first stop in Knoxville.
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One man reportedly offered the AD job at the University of Kansas is on the list. In 2010 Bubba Cunningham decided to stay at Tulsa instead of come to Lawrence. Dr. Zenger appreciated that move. Bubba is now at North Carolina, weathering storms and winning a lot. According to his bio, The Tarheels have won nine national titles and made an additional 10 runner-up finishes since he arrived in Chapel Hill in 2011. I guess he deserves a place on the list.