The search committee started with close to 100 candidates. Sitting athletic directors, deputy athletic directors and non-traditional candidates were all part of the pool. They were charged to cast a wide net.
Then they narrowed it down to resumes that they looked at in detail. After that, the committee selected six to 10 people to interview. The final two to three were recommended to Chancellor Kent Syverud.
At the end of it all, Mark Coyle was the man left standing.
“We came up with a list of 11 key, must-have attributes and when you go down the list and at the end of the day you look at Mark Coyle, you say ‘Wow,'” search committee chair Steve Ballentine said.