Best Choice for New Kansas State Athletic Director
By Stan Unruh
Kansas State University is looking for a new Athletic Director. The best man for the job was in Manhattan over the weekend.
Last week, Kansas State University president Richard Myers announced a search committee to find a replacement for John Currie who decided to return to the University of Tennessee. Like him or not, Currie knew how to raise money and how to be tough when necessary.
The next Kansas State Athletic Director will have some extremely difficult decisions to make. How would you like to pick Bill Snyder’s successor or decide on the future of the basketball program?
There are one or two top choices for this job. The best choice is a former Wildcat.
Last weekend was the perfect time for President Myers or someone from the search committee to visit with this ideal candidate.
The Texas Tech Athletic Department told me Red Raiders’ Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt was in Manhattan on Friday and Saturday along with the basketball team. The Wildcats picked up a big win over the Raiders.
I certainly hope someone took the time to visit with him about a return to Manhattan.
I know he’s a Texas native. But Hocutt bleeds purple.
He was a four-year letter winner on the Wildcat football team. The linebacker led the conference in tackles his junior year. He served as a team captain his senior year.
Hocutt cut his teeth as athletics director at the University Ohio. After 3 years at athletics director at University of Miami, he was smart enough to leave south Florida.
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Texas Tech hired him in 2011. He has helped lead the school’s $185M Campaign for Fearless Champions and hired four significant head coaches. Those include the current football and basketball coaches.
Hocutt is also the current chairman of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
Whatever it takes, the search committee needs to make Hocutt an offer and get him back to Manhattan.