Search and Recruitment Services for Athletic Director Position

The University of South Dakota (USD), a Division I institution under the South Dakota Board of Regents, is seeking a qualified search firm to conduct a national recruitment process for its next Athletic Director. The procurement is structured as a Request for Proposal (RFP) targeting firms with expertise in higher education athletic leadership recruitment. The primary deliverables include conducting a comprehensive nationwide search, recommending a qualified candidate, and completing the recruitment process within 4-6 weeks. Key objectives include identifying a leader for an athletic program with 18 men's and women's sports and approximately 436 student-athletes. Evaluation criteria will focus on the offeror's qualifications, past performance in similar NCAA Division I athletic director searches, proposed project management techniques, and overall approach to the recruitment process. Critical dates include offeror questions due on September 29, 2023, with responses provided on October 6, 2023. Proposals are due by October 13, 2023, with the anticipated search firm selection occurring on October 20, 2023. The desired timeline for the search is to identify a new Athletic Director between October 15, 2023, and January 15, 2024.

The RFP documents do not explicitly mention specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or minority-owned businesses. No incumbent vendor details are provided beyond noting that Corey Jenkins is currently serving as Interim Athletic Director, replacing David Herbster who resigned on August 14, 2023. MRJ Advisors LLC is mentioned as a special advisory consultant working with USD since April 4, 2023, but they are not a search firm for this opportunity. The RFP does not specify a precise budget or contract value for the search services. The contract will commence upon execution and conclude upon the successful hiring of the new Athletic Director. While financial specifics are not detailed, the document suggests the search firm will be responsible for a comprehensive national recruitment process targeting top-tier candidates for a Division I athletic leadership position. The procurement appears open to qualified search firms with demonstrated success in NCAA Division I athletic director placements.