Sources: Jon Wefald, 785-532-6221; Bob Krause, 785-532-5942
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008
K-STATE REACTS TO NEWS OF WEISER'S NEW JOB
MANHATTAN, KAN. -- Officials at Kansas State University reacted with mixed emotions to news released today by Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe that he has hired K-State Athletic Director Tim Weiser to be his Deputy Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.
"I am personally happy for Tim," said President Jon Wefald, "but, needless to say, we will miss him, and the timing of the situation does present us with some challenges given the time of the year and all the great things going on in the department."
Wefald continued, "I knew last fall after the Conference made Beebe its new Commissioner that Dan was highly interested in considering Tim to be his top assistant. They have been friends for two decades and have worked well over the years on many Conference matters.
"Tim has done a great job for us over the past seven years: he has upgraded our facilities, brought fiscal stability to the department, hired excellent head coaches and staff and in many ways has brought the entire athletic program to it highest level ever. I want to publicly thank him for all his contributions and wish him the very best in his new endeavor.
"Timing is an issue," Wefald said, "and we need to assess where we are on several fronts and ensure that we position ourselves to continue to build on Tim's excellent work."
In the near term, Jim Epps, senior associate director of athletics, will be in charge of the day-to-day operation of the department and will report directly to Bob Krause, vice president for institutional advancement, who will have oversight responsibilities for the department.
"The challenge for us is not to lose any momentum with several initiatives and programs under way," Krause said. "We are beginning the largest expansion of facilities in the history of K-State athletics, estimated to be nearly $70 million dollars over the next few years. We have several contract negotiations in various stages, as well as new challenges created by the recent NCAA settlement and several Conference issues which significantly impact our current and future operations. All this comes at a time when several of our teams are competing at the highest level in the Conference."
Reportedly, Krause, Weiser and Beebe are working on arrangements whereby Weiser will be available to work with K-State to ensure a smooth transition while he begins his new responsibilities at the Conference office.
"I appreciate Commissioner Beebe's willingness to have flexibility which will allow us to have access to Tim's expertise and experience," Krause said. "Our task is not to miss a beat and aggressively pursue our goals."