The time has come for athletics director Tom Collins to make the hiring decisions of his life.
Since the university apologized to former men's basketball coach Ronny Thompson in December 2007, two members of the athletics department, Deputy Athletics Director Ken Brown and compliance director Kyle Brennan, have left the athletics department.
With the department already on NCAA probation, having received negative national attention for the last six months and described as dysfunctional by alumni, the biggest problem now is the two most important positions below the athletics director are vacant.
Brown was second in charge in the athletics department and Collins' top assistant. He spent the past 17 years at Ball State including serving as interim athletics director after Bubba Cunningham left for the University of Tulsa in 2005.
As compliance director, Brennan was responsible to make sure the athletics department and teams weren't violating NCAA rules.
Collins said there is no timetable for filling the voids that Brown and Brennan are leaving.
It is important that the positions are filled in a timely manner, but more importantly that they are filled with qualified people.
The athletics department is already on shaky ground.
In October, the NCAA put Ball State on two years probation for violations multiple teams committed in the athletics department. The penalties came a few months after Thompson resigned amid claims of a hostile working environment.
There are also still investigations of possible violations that occurred during Thompson's time at Ball State by the men's basketball program.
If the university commits another infraction, the penalties will be harsher, and teams could lose scholarships and postseason eligibility.
So the deputy athletics director and compliance director are vital at this time.
The people hired for these positions will have the responsibility to help fix a problematic program and make the athletic department respectable once again.
They also have to help ensure the players and staff know the NCAA rules and do not violate them, which would result in harsher punishments.
Not only is the department's future on the line, so is Collins' future.
When Collins came to Ball State from Arizona State University in January 2006, he retained a majority of the old athletic department administration during former athletics director Bubba Cunningham's tenure. Collins could have fired associate athletic directors and other administrators to bring in his people, but he elected to keep the old staff, including several people who applied for the athletic director position.
Two years later, Collins is now going to hire the people he wants to help him run the department. He does not have to stick with the staff members he inherited in key positions. For Collins, the people he hires should be individuals he trusts, because how successful the new administration members fare could determine how much longer he remains in his position.
The athletics department has been in shambles the past few years and this is Collins' chance, maybe his last chance, to establish his staff and stability at Ball State.
If he doesn't, Collins could be following Brown and Brennan in leaving Ball State.
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