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SPORTS
19
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2003
Getting high
Zach Straus/Kansan
Kenny Johnston, Leawood junior, keeps his eyes on the disc while trying to avoid a leaping Paul Bunyan, Lincoln sophomore. Johnston and Bunyan were on opposing teams during a weekly pick up game of ultimate frisbee in South Park, 12th and Massachusetts streets, Monday night.
Director's first day off to hectic start
By Saju Ng'alla
sngalla@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Lew Perkins, the new athletics director at the University of Kansas will visit eight towns in Kansas, meet with the governor, play in a golf tournament, attend a meeting of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and somehow find time to attend a Kansas City Royals game all in two weeks.
Perkins' schedule was revealed at an informal meeting with the press Monday evening, after his first day on the job where he made statements concerning his day.
Perkins said that when he came to work
perkins
that morning, A. Drue Jennings, former interim athletics director, turned over the department with a symbolic gesture by giving him the keys to his office.
Perkins looked tired that afternoon as he laid back in his chair recounting the first day of his new job to the media. He said he met with department staff, former and present student athletes, toured the
facilities, the campus and parts of Lawrence.
Perkins said the most important part of the day came when he spent about an hour with student athletes, including men's basketball junior forward, Wayne Simien.
"This is a business一a $27 million business and the most important part is the 500 student athletes," Perkins said.
Doug Vance, associate athletics director of communications, said Perkins would make meeting with student athletes every day a priority.
Perkins also commented on the ticket controversy, in which 121 season ticket holders for men's basketball were asked to pay $5,000 to keep their seats. Perkins said whoever came up with the idea was a genius. He gave his full support and said the money raised would benefit student athletes.
He said he would rather have donors upset with him than have the athletes suffer.
Perkins also wants donors to know that if they are KU supporters, they must come to other sporting events, not just basketball. With this in mind, Perkins said he
SEE DIRECTOR ON PAGE 20
Longtime adviser follows Williams to North Carolina
By Saju Ng alla
sngalla@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The University of North Carolina has snatched away another member of the men's basketball program. Wayne Walden, a 15-year academic adviser for the team, will leave the University of Kansas today.
It was an offer that Walden could not refuse - an opportunity to work again with Roy Williams, North Carolina's new men's basketball coach.
"Coach Williams is the biggest reason I am leaving," Walden said. "I have so much respect for the way he does things, especially in the kind of players he recruits."
Williams' major priority was developing basketball players with strong characters and abilities to handle the responsibilities of life, Walden said. He wanted to continue to be a part of that development.
His announcement gives the athletics department time to study his position and decide how it could be improved, said Paul Buskirk, associate athletics director
for student support services. This evaluation will look at the needs of students, the main responsibilities of the adviser and the effectiveness of the position.
In addition to serving as academic adviser, Walden supervised counselors and performed various administrative duties, Buskirk said. Walden also was the academic adviser for Kansas' baseball team and women's tennis and volleyball teams.
Whether Walden's successor will do the same will be decided when the evaluation ends.
Buskirk said that Lew Perkins, athletics director, and Bill Self, men's basketball coach, would not play a role in the search.
He also said he would head the search committee and it would be looking for a gifted counselor with extensive knowledge of Kansas athletics and Big 12 procedures.
Several individuals have already shown interest, Buskirk said, but he would wait until after the evaluation to advertise the position. He expects to have the position filled by the end of the month.
— Edited by Jennifer Wellington
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