SAN FRANCISCO—The U.S. Olympic Committee’s search for a CEO is in its final stages, with plans to have the new boss in place before the Vancouver Games start in February.
The USOC board discussed the hiring process at its quarterly board meeting Monday.
Two people familiar with the search told The Associated Press there are six candidates: TD Ameritrade chairman Joe Moglia; former baseball executive Sandy Alderson; current chief operating officer Norm Bellingham; former general counsel and interim CEO of the USOC, Scott Blackmun; Jet Set Sports president Mark Lewis and USA Swimming CEO Chuck Wielgus.
The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the candidates’ names are supposed to be confidential.
All candidates except Moglia were first reported by The Chicago Tribune.
Chairman Larry Probst would not comment on the names or number of candidates, but did say the new CEO would be in place before the Vancouver Olympics.
“We talked about a Jan. 1, 2010, timeline and I think we’re making good progress against that particular objective,” Probst said. “I’m not sure we’ll hit that exact date, but we’re working well together, making good progress.”
This marked the last scheduled board meeting for acting CEO Stephanie Streeter, who gave a candid assessment of 2009—a year that included successes in signing sponsors and expanding athlete funding but also included the embarrassment of Chicago’s loss in the race to host the 2016 Olympics and, of course, the tumult that surrounded her move from the board to CEO.
“This year has been a bit of a roller coaster,” she said. “You typically remember the drops and gut-wrenches and exhilaration you feel at the end because your eyes are saucer-wide, and you forget the ups. And that’s what gets you to the top and able to enjoy the ride.”
Streeter presented the board with details of the 2010 budget, saying there are no imminent plans for drastic cuts. Earlier this year, the USOC had to lay off 54 employees to cut 5 percent from its budget.
Mike English, the director of sport performance, said American athletes have won 70 medals in 27 worldwide events so far this season and were making big strides in biathlon and Nordic combined, two sports where they haven’t traditionally fared well.
“It’s an exciting start in what we hope is a prelude to our performance in Vancouver,” English said.
A good showing at the Olympics would be one of the best things that could happen for the USOC, which has been through a bad year filled with domestic criticism, international embarrassment and internal policy squabbles.
Probst reiterated his intention to stay in his job for the long-term. He has mentioned a 15-year plan to improve international relations, and said he has seen an early draft of the 15-year plan and was encouraged.
He said the next board meeting likely would be devoted to hearing suggestions from the advisory panel being chaired by former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue. The panel is looking at the USOC’s governance structure and might recommend increasing the size of the 11-member board.
Joining English, Streeter and Probst at the post-meeting news conference was board member Mike Plant—a telling sign given he was an outspoken critic of most of the key decisions the USOC made during this tumultuous year.
“Larry made the commitment to reach out to all constituencies, those who had various concerns and issues,” Plant said. “As a member of the board, maybe in the past, I was one of the more vocal about how we did things from a communication standpoint. But I feel good, because he stepped up and did what he said he was going to do.”
Probst said there was no talk in the meeting about a possible future bid to bring the Olympics to America.
He also said the USOC Network, an idea that was proposed then taken off the table because of complaints from the International Olympic Committee, was still “on pause.” The USOC’s partner, Comcast, is acquiring NBC Universal, which will almost certainly delay any planning on the network by months or years.
