The resignation of Bruce Van De Velde has started an immediate search for a replacement, leaving the ISU athletic department with unclear direction just weeks before the beginning of the football season.

ISU President Gregory Geoffroy will be joined by a five member search committee, headed by Ben Allen, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

“The search committee met for the first time this past Monday and had a very good meeting,” Geoffroy said. “We have an outstanding search consultant to work with and they are very optimistic that we will have a very strong pool of candidates for this position.”

Baker-Parker, a consulting firm based in Atlanta, has been hired to assist in the search.

Geoffroy laid out several qualities the committee will be looking for in the new athletic director.

“We want to recruit an athletic director who will be a very strong leader, a great motivator of the entire athletic department, who will be a great fundraiser and who will have great PR skills,” Geoffroy said.

“[They should be] someone with a high concern for the welfare of student athletes and someone that shows a high level on integrity, honesty and loyalty and someone who will be effective building strong support for the program. We are looking for someone who will really move the Iowa State athletics program strongly forward.”

Another qualification that has been voiced by search committee members is the need for the candidate to be able to help the department enlarge its budget.

ISU and Baylor have the smallest budgets in the conference, with ISU at $29 million for the fiscal year.

One factor in Van De Velde’s decision to leave Iowa State was his lack of a contract.

Geoffroy offered him a professional and scientific appointment, a position which would let him serve at the pleasure of the administration.

ISU football coach Dan McCarney said he hopes Geoffroy will give an extended offer to the next athletic director.

“It’s important that there’s stability there with a good contract and a good commitment,” McCarney said.

“I’ve talked to Dr. Geoffroy and I feel like that’s something that will happen here. He’s going to hire the best person for Iowa State University.

Geoffroy said he believed with “high certainty” that the next athletic director would have a long-term contract.

Although the names of the finalists for the position will not be made public, several potential names have surfaced.

Those mentioned have been Calli Theisen Sanders, senior women’s administrator and senior associate athletics director, along with former ISU basketball star Fred Hoiberg. Gary Thompson, a former All-American in both basketball and baseball at Iowa State, has also been mentioned. Thompson is also on the search committee.

The other members of the search committee are Peg Armstrong, founder and owner of Amson Technology, Jeff Johnson, president of the Iowa State Alumni Association and John Schuh, chairman of the Iowa State Athletics Council.

Although he doesn’t have an active roll in a search for his replacement, Van De Velde said he will give input if asked.

“If the president wants to visit with me I’d be happy to visit with him,” Van De Velde said. “I’m sure they will find a good candidate and I’ll always be a Cyclone, so I wish him well.”