LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Louisville has filled one opening, naming Vince Tyra its athletic director and removing the interim tag from his title.
Now Tyra can proceed with hiring a full-time men's basketball coach.
Tyra was unanimously approved as AD on Monday after a series of meetings by the University of Louisville Athletic Association and its board of trustees. He was named last fall to temporarily replace longtime AD Tom Jurich after the school placed him on paid administrative in the wake of Louisville's acknowledged involvement in a federal corruption investigation of college basketball. Jurich was fired on Oct. 18 after nearly 20 years in charge.
Louisville interim President Greg Postel said during a Monday news conference that the school was "looking for a best fit, and at the end of the day Vince Tyra emerged as the strongest candidate.''
Postel said a search committee looked at 50 candidates from Power 5 conferences and other established schools before reducing the list. The school ultimately chose the person who was already in charge.
Tyra received a five-year-contract worth $850,000 annually plus bonuses and now moves forward with finding a replacement for basketball coach David Padgett, who went 22-14 last season on an interim basis. Padgett had taken over for Rick Pitino, who was fired for cause in October.
Tyra's promotion fills a necessary vacancy in the process of finding the Cardinals' next coach. Hired during the immediate fallout of the federal investigation, he has handled that incident along with other tasks such as the school's appeal of NCAA sanctions resulting from an escort scandal. Tyra has also overseen the final steps of a $63 million expansion of the school's football stadium.
As for the federal probe, Tyra said, "There's no update, and I'm not looking for one anytime soon.''
Tyra's immediate task is finding someone to guide the cornerstone basketball program on from its latest dark chapter. Chris Mack's name has surfaced as possible candidate. In nine seasons at Xavier, Mack has led the Musketeers to eight NCAA tournament appearances and one trip to the Elite Eight.
Hours after Louisville parted ways last Wednesday with Padgett, a former Cardinals player and assistant under Pitino, Tyra stated that the school planned to hire a top-tier coach to run what he considered an elite program.
"That needs to get filled and resolved in the short term,'' Tyra said of the opening he hopes to fill by this weekend's men's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
He did not elaborate on potential candidates and added, "Today is less about that, but we're on the right track.''