According to a report released on Friday by NJ Advance Media, Rutgers University has parted ways with TurnkeyZRG, the search firm it contracted three months ago to help identify a permanent athletic director. A week prior, The Knight Report announced that the top candidate, Brian Lafemina, had pulled his name out of the running.

Rutgers has been without a permanent athletic director since Patt Hobbs abruptly resigned last August 16th – that is 344 days, nearly a full calendar year. The university has seen significant personnel changes this offseason, as Shawn Tucker, Vice President of Athletic Development, was named Rowan University’s Director of Athletics, and interim AD Ryan Pissari announced he was taking the full-time AD role at Tufts University in Massachusetts.

In a move that can only be described as classic Rutgers, the University named long-time facilities employee Matthew Colagiovanni as the interim-interim athletic director to replace the departing interim AD, Pisarri. Not surprisingly, head Coach Greg Schiano was asked about the AD Search at Big Ten Media Days this past week.

“I have a lot of faith in Amy (Towers), and now President Tate, and the board will choose the right person,” Schiano said. “Now that President Tate’s on board, now President Tate will handle it. I have total faith that they’re going to pick the right person for Rutgers.”

To Schiano’s point, with the University moving on from the search firm, it seems logical that President Tate will help actively lead the search, presenting his recommendations to the University’s Board of Governors.

“Now he’ll be tasked with getting the next president,” basketball Head Coach Steve Pikiell said on his recent podcast. “If he’s a big part of this whole process now, you know he can pick the guy that shares his vision. I think that’s the most important thing now, get a guy that he can work with, and that can help us in the most difficult time in college athletics.”

Whom Tate has in mind is anyone’s guess, but coming from powerhouse LSU of the Southeastern Conference, don’t be surprised if he poaches one of his former colleagues. Executive Deputy AD Keli Zinn is a name to watch. Hired by LSU in July of 2022, Zinn was the first woman to lead the athletics department at West Virginia University.

Known for her business acumen in the age of NIL, her passion across all sports, and her prior relationship at LSU with President Tate, Zinn would seem like an obvious candidate for Rutgers University to approach. In the end, though, one thing is for sure – when Rutgers finally does make an offer to a potential AD candidate, expect the unexpected.

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