By Andrew Merritt, Massachusetts Daily Collegian, U-Mass-Amherst

(U-WIRE) AMHERST, Mass. – Former Northeastern Director of Athletics Ian McCaw, who left the university after 2002 for the same job at the University of Massachusetts, was hired away to Baylor University last Tuesday, in an abrupt decision. “We are very pleased that Ian McCaw is Baylor’s new director of athletics,” Baylor president Robert B. Sloan Jr. said. “This is the culmination of a very thorough national search that yielded outstanding candidates. Ian is a proven leader with experience in athletics administration.” With McCaw’s departure, UMass will begin a search for its third athletic director in two years. McCaw replaced former UMass athletic director Bob Marcum, who took an early retirement in June 2002. “The University of Massachusetts-Amherst congratulates Baylor University for its selection of Ian McCaw as its new athletic director,” UMass Chancellor John Lombardi said in a press release. “Ian McCaw has served this campus exceedingly well for the past year. He clearly demonstrated the high integrity and professional excellence that would attract the attention of any major athletic program in the country. While we are very sorry to lose Ian’s talents from this campus, [but] we can only celebrate his move and wish him and his family all the success and happiness in the world.” The move comes one month after the former Baylor athletic director, Tom Stanton, resigned in the wake of a scandal following basketball player Patrick Dennehy’s apparent murder. “My family and I are incredibly excited about the opportunity to serve Baylor University,” McCaw said in a Baylor press release. “Baylor represents a pinnacle personal and professional position for me.” The Burlington, Ontario, native is Baylor’s ninth athletic director. McCaw’s new job will not come without challenges. The Baylor athletic program is still suffering from the effects of Dennehy’s death, as well as the subsequent investigation that turned up corruption throughout the basketball program. Former basketball coach Dave Bliss also resigned in the wake of the investigation, and it was found that he attempted to arrange for another Baylor player to paint Dennehy as a drug dealer and abuser. Former basketball player Carlton Dotson was also arrested and charged with Dennehy’s murder. The scandal turned national media focus on Baylor as allegations of mishandled drug tests and other wrongdoing surfaced. McCaw, 40, leaves the UMass program in the middle of an investigation of the feasibility of bringing the football team to the I-A level. The department also recently completed an overhaul of its identity system, with new word marks and logos. McCaw was further involved in the UMass hockey team’s increased visibility on campus. In a press conference at Baylor’s football stadium in Waco, Texas, yesterday, McCaw alluded to the university’s Christian affiliation as part of his reasons for taking the job. “The Christian, academic and athletic combination here is something that was very attractive to me,” he said. McCaw also mentioned Baylor’s football program, an I-A team that hasn’t had much success in the Big 12 Conference as of late. “Football revenue can drive the athletic program. A successful I-A program will put resources into the athletic department.” While he didn’t go in depth about his plan for the beleaguered men’s basketball team, he did note the need for improvement. “We need to change the perception of our men’s basketball program.” He also talked about the need for improving the athletic program’s compliance, which was a part of the problem unearthed by this summer’s investigation. Though McCaw did recognize the difficulty in the task ahead, he was confident in the quality of both the school and athletic program he will be joining. “I had a chance to meet with the coaches and administration this morning,” he said. “I’m convinced there’s great commitment here at Baylor in terms of our administration, our regents, our alumni and supporters. “I envision a situation where young people of Baptist, Protestant and Christian faith will look to Baylor as a good opportunity. I’m excited about the challenge at hand.” While the hiring came without any warning — some members of the athletic department staff found out by reading The Associated Press report online — Lombardi was quick to compliment McCaw and recognize the gravity of his departure. “When universities recruit superb people, they also know that others will soon recognize that quality,” Lombardi said. “Ian McCaw goes to his new position with the full support and appreciation of all of us who know how much he has done for this campus.” McCaw served for five years at Northeastern, hiring many of the coaches that have brought the school recent success. McCaw was hired as the UMass athletic director in July 2002. He had previously spent five years as the director of intercollegiate athletics and campus recreation. Prior to that, he worked at Tulane University as a senior associate athletic director for development and external affairs for five years. He became a co-interim director of athletics at the Louisiana school in 1996. An alumnus of Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, McCaw received his master’s degree in sports management from UMass in 1987.