Associate AD leaving UMaine post> New search committee appointed

Anne McCoy, the University of Maine associate director of athletics who alleged that former athletic director Mike Ploszek planned to conceal NCAA rules violations last year, is leaving the university.

McCoy, UMaine’s associate AD for finance and administration, has been hired as the assistant director of athletics for business and finance at Saint Louis University, where Doug Woolard, a finalist for the UMaine AD post last fall, is the athletics director.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” McCoy said Tuesday. “It couldn’t have worked out better. Saint Louis, athletically, is a bigger step than Maine and they run a high-class ship. As far as media-wise and sports-wise, I don’t think there’d be a better city in the country.”

McCoy said St. Louis provides her and her husband, WABI-TV sportscaster Brian McCoy, with a tremendous professional challenge and takes the Wassau, Wis., native closer to her family in the Midwest.

“We really wanted to make a move that was right for both of us,” McCoy said. “We made a lot of good friends here, but we knew this was most likely not going to be the place we’d be forever.”

McCoy was a key figure as UMaine’s NCAA compliance controversy snowballed in February 1994. She joined former UMaine compliance officer Woody Carville in publicly alleging that Ploszek had planned to conceal eligibility violations from the NCAA.

Ploszek denied the accusations, and investigations conducted by former U.S. Congressman Stanley Tupper and former University of Maine System Chancellor J. Michael Orenduff found “no credible evidence” that Ploszek planned to keep the violations under wraps.

McCoy admitted the scandal created some hard feelings with some people at the university, but said the situation had no bearing on her decision to take the Saint Louis job.

“Brian and I would not be leaving if this wasn’t a good move for us,” McCoy said. Even if everything was absolutely perfect here at Maine, we would still be moving to St. Louis.

“If we had wanted to leave because of all the crazy situations happening here, we would have left a year ago,” she said. “We obviously have our share of friends and enemies because of everything, but our friends outnumber our enemies.”

Saint Louis University was attractive to McCoy in part because of its efforts with gender equity.

“Every indication that I have gotten in looking at budgets is that they are in compliance with gender equity,” said McCoy, who explained the school has already dealt with the issue and appears to have it under control. “They seem to be right on track.”

McCoy began her career at UMaine as the assistant business manager, was promoted to assistant director of athletics and Senior Women’s Administrator in September 1990 and was appointed to her current position in September 1993.

McCoy earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management from the University of Massachusetts.

The search for a director of athletics and recreation at the University of Maine has begun anew with President Fred Hutchinson’s announcement of a new search committee.

The 18-member committee is chaired by Dr. Anne Pooler, associate dean for academic services in the College of Education. The group includes representatives of the university and the community.

The committee has been charged with conducting a nationwide search to find a permanent replacement for the position vacated when Mike Ploszek resigned on April 15, 1994. Walter Abbott has held the job on an interim basis for the past year, but has informed Hutchinson that he wants to return to his duties as an associate professor in education and will not be a candidate.

A search was begun last May, but was suspended after Doug Woolard, a candidate recommended by the search committee, accepted a similar position at Saint Louis University.

Pooler is joined on the search committee by 13 university representatives, including Dr. Sandra Caron, chairwoman of the Athletic Advisory Board; Dr. George Jacobsen, NCAA faculty representative; men’s basketball coach Rudy Keeling; field hockey coach Terry Kix; and Tammy Light, assistant athletic director for compliance.

Community members include author Stephen King of Bangor and Webber Oil Co. chairman Larry Mahaney of Bangor.

Hutchinson’s goal is to have a new AD in place by September. UMaine is looking for candidates who meet these criteria:

Demonstrable commitment to academic excellence; substantial administrative experience in directing an athletic program, with specific experience with NCAA compliance; demonstrable commitment to gender equity and Title IX; experience in working directly with head coaches, or as a head coach; demonstrable experience in recruiting head coaches; and experience in raising funds for athletic programs.

The UMaine women’s basketball team has landed its fourth recruit for next season. Gabrielle DeShone, a 5-foot-7 guard from LaSalle, Quebec, has signed an NCAA Letter of Intent to attend Maine.

DeShong played one season at Vanier College in St. Laurent, Quebec, where she averaged 12.3 points, six rebounds and four steals. She is a 1994 graduate of Lachine High School where she was a five-year honor roll student.

DeShong also plans to compete on the Black Bears track team as a sprinter. She has been a member of the Canadian Junior Team and the Canadian Legion Team.

“Gabrielle is a tremendous athlete and an excellent student,” said Maine coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie. “There is no doubt that she will be a big part of our future success.”