The University of Maine is one step closer to hiring its next athletic director after Thursday’s initial screening of the 76 wannabes who have applied to succeed Kevin White. But there’s still a lot more steps to be taken before a single candidate is offered the job.

“We’re beginning to narrow it down but we have a lot of work to do in the next couple of weeks,” said screening committee chairman Dr. Robert Cobb, one of 12 who attended Thursday’s meeting in Crossland Hall. Two members of the committee were absent.

Cobb said he still expects to have the new AD on board by Sept. 1, two months to the day after White left to take the AD job at Tulane University. White served as Maine’s AD for four years.

“I still think that’s realistic. Our next meeting is set for the 22nd (of July). We should be able to move fairly rapidly after that meeting,” Cobb said.

Thursday’s meeting was designed for the committee members to take a close look at each of the 76 candidates from across the country interested in the Maine job, which offers a salary of $72,473. According to Cobb, the applicant pool is deep.

“I think it’s a high quality applicant pool. It’s a reflection on the high regard the University of Maine is held in across the country,” Cobb said.

The next step in the process will be running telephone checks on the applicants, with committee members talking to the prospective ADs’ co-workers and administrators at their respective institutions.

“We’re checking them out from as many perspectives as possible,” Cobb said.

“Nobody has been completely ruled out at this point,” Cobb continued. “There are some who have clearly established themselves as people we want to look at more closely. We just want more information on them.”

Cobb said there is no formula for determining a set number of finalists to be interviewed.

“We’re more driven by the qualities of the applicants themselves,” said the university’s dean of education. “That factor will determine how many we interview.”

There was no word Thursday on whether acting Maine AD Walter Abbott is one of the 76 applicants. Abbott, a 30-year educator and coach at Maine, is running a wilderness safety course this week and could not be reached for comment.

Seven UMaine coaches have been named to serve on sports committees within the North Atlantic Conference. The appointments were recently approved at the league’s annual meeting.

Elected to serve on committees in their respective sports were head coaches John Winkin, baseball; Trish Roberts, women’s basketball; Jim Dyer, men’s soccer; Janet Anderson, softball; Jim Ballinger, track and cross country; Bill Porter, golf; and Bruce Jensen, women’s tennis.

There are 13 sport committees within the NAC, each consisting of five administrators and coaches.