There's been a lot of talk in recent years about a post-GOL future at UCF.
When will he retire? When he does, will his voice be the primary one in naming a successor? Will he stick around in an advisory role?
Now that Stansbury's office is soon to be vacant, what if he became athletic director?
I'm not just tossing the idea around; it's already being discussed internally. Sources say GOL is receptive to the idea, but it's still early in the process.
Plenty of issues to consider, assuming the interest was mutual in talking talks to the next level:
-What are the immediate football ramifications? The obvious solution would to be to instantly promote Brent Key as head coach. Can GOL, as AD, stay out of his way and not micro-manage the program?
-If you're GOL, even if you like the idea of being AD, can you step down in this point in time? With a possible opening in regards to the Big 12, UCF can ill afford to take a step back. That's not a knock on Brent Key, but rather a statement that it's more important for UCF to have GOL as head coach than athletic director.
-And if you're Dr. Hitt, there have to be some questions whether GOL is the right fit for what UCF needs right now. There are examples of legendary coaches transitioning to athletic director (Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin and Tom Osborne, Nebraska) but both had distinctly different personalities. Plus, those programs are in completely different places. UCF's challenges are well known. And while GOL is a legend as a coach, does that style translate to an office setting?
Again, it's still early. I'm not sure if either party knows exactly what they want.
As for other names? Towson AD and former GKC head Tim Leonard has already expressed an interest. I'm sure David Hansen and Zack Lassiter as internal candidates will be considered as well.
I'm sure other external candidate names will surface in the days and weeks to come. But from what multiple people have told me today, GOL is definitely a name to keep an eye on.
What do you think? Would you like to see GOL take over as AD?
