CHAMPAIGN — In the domino game of high-level "interims" at the University of Illinois, the first to fall will be an athletic post.
Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson says she will name the new athletic director to replace Mike Thomas, rather than waiting for a new chancellor to arrive on campus next spring.
Wilson doesn't have an exact time frame yet, but both she and UI President Timothy Killeen said they hope the search moves quickly.
"Speed is probably important here, to ensure that anxieties are lessened and we have an exciting program going forward," Killeen said, emphasizing that Wilson is in charge of the process.