UCF's athletic director position could be Tim Leonard's to lose.
Heard from two different sources in the past day (one inside UCF, the other outside UCF) that the former UCF Associate AD of Development and current Towson AD is the preferred early candidate.
For starters, he has the endorsement of George O'Leary and several key boosters, which is a big positive to have in your corner. It was also mentioned that because UCF went outside the university for the Foundation hire (Morsberger) and is about to do the same for the vacant Alumni position, Dr. Hitt would prefer an AD that has UCF ties. Leonard, who was in Orlando from 1999 to 2008, certainly fits that bill.
UCF has retained Parker for its search, so other candidates could emerge. It's still just a few days into the process. But based upon what I'm hearing, Leonard has a great shot.
Heard from two different sources in the past day (one inside UCF, the other outside UCF) that the former UCF Associate AD of Development and current Towson AD is the preferred early candidate.
For starters, he has the endorsement of George O'Leary and several key boosters, which is a big positive to have in your corner. It was also mentioned that because UCF went outside the university for the Foundation hire (Morsberger) and is about to do the same for the vacant Alumni position, Dr. Hitt would prefer an AD that has UCF ties. Leonard, who was in Orlando from 1999 to 2008, certainly fits that bill.
UCF has retained Parker for its search, so other candidates could emerge. It's still just a few days into the process. But based upon what I'm hearing, Leonard has a great shot.
