Yet the way Rice-Eccles Stadium acts as a centerpiece of the University of Utah campus is “a beautiful thing,” Harlan said after an introduction that made him seem like a perfect fit for the Utes.
“Wow.” That was Harlan’s first word, after the welcome from school president Ruth V. Watkins, and that’s a nice, crisp summary of the first impression he made on the stadium’s press box level Monday. Watkins joked how the Utes were “a little rusty” in searching for an athletic director after Chris Hill’s 31 years on the job. You never would have known that, judging by the results.