2008 Woodie Awards
Athletic Director won't stay to MARC his spot
Travis Feezell will leave for a teaching post at the end of the semester; he will miss the opening of the new athletic facility he was instrumental in creating
By: Will Kennedy, Managing Editor
Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: Sports
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After three years with Macalester, Feezell announced his resignation at an athletics department meeting last Monday. The outbound AD, who played a central role in bringing a new athletic facility to the college, told coaches and other staff that he had accepted an associate professorship teaching sports management and studies at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., for next semester.
He is the second high-profile member of the athletics department to leave the college this year-former head football coach Glenn Caruso left for St. Thomas in January.
"In some ways this has nothing to do with Mac," Feezell said. "It's a life shift out of athletics administration and back into the classroom."
Feezell was previously an athletic director and professor at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., and he taught sports related courses at St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota during his tenure at Macalester.
While Feezell's passion for the classroom was well known, few anticipated Monday's news. "It came as a surprise," Associate Athletic Director Vanessa Seljeskog said. "You're always sad when someone leaves, but we certainly respect his decision to pursue that career path."
However, practical rather than sentimental concerns will take priority in the coming weeks. Feezell's departure pressures the college to find a replacement before the rapidly approaching fall semester. Vice President for Student Affairs Laurie Hamre, who will oversee the search, has set a target date of August 1 for hiring a new athletic director. "Certainly it would be nice to have some continuity, but people do what they have to do," she said. "Travis' passion is teaching."
"I'm confident that even though this is a fast timeline, we'll get a very good applicant pool."
Hamre and others hope that the new athletic facility will make Macalester attractive to sports administrators looking for work. The job opening has already been posted within Macalester's own athletic department. In a few days, the search will be publicized around the country using online newsletters, e-mails and contacts outside the college.
Hamre hopes the college will begin interviewing at the end of April; a few of the top candidates will be invited to campus around graduation on May 17.
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