Richardson said the university has contracted with Carr Sports Associates Inc., a Gainesville, Fla.-based athletics search firm, to help find potential replacements for David Housel, who has announced his plans to step down in early 2005.

"I'm looking forward to beginning the search process for a new athletic director and confident that we will attract a number of high-caliber candidates," Richardson said. "The opportunity to lead an athletic program that competes at the level ours does has to be an attractive proposition for any qualified individual."

Richardson said he expects the search to be concluded by the end of September.

Carr Sports specializes in intercollegiate athletics searches and management consulting and has conducted searches for athletic directors at several Division I-A schools.

Richardson said Hal Baird, athletic assistant to the president, will work closely with Carr Sports in the early phases of the search and that all inquiries should be directed to Baird.

AU will pay Carr Sports a flat fee of $30,000 for its services.