UGA's Adams atop short list as next NCAA president

By Mashaun D. Simon

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

UGA President Michael Adams sits atop a short list of potential replacements of the late Myles Brand as head of the NCAA, according to published reports.

Adams and Brand were close, having known each other for more than 20 years. On a few occasions, Brand would cite Adams as one of the pre-eminent university presidents in the nation.

"I'd never talk publicly about two things, jobs or money. I love the University of Georgia. My plan is to be here until retirement," Adams told the Associated Press Thursday. "My plan is to help facilitate the NCAA getting a search started and getting somebody in place to succeed Myles."

Other potential replacements include University of Hartford president Walter Harrison and NCAA executive Bernard Franklin.

Harrison is a former executive committee chair and is in charge of the Division I committee on academic performance — the group that handles two of Brand's biggest contributions to measuring how athletes perform in the classroom, the Academic Progress Report and Graduation Success Rate.

Franklin served as the president at four colleges, the largest being Virginia Union, before coming to the NCAA. He, too, works with the executive committee and has experience working with the Division II committees.

NCAA president Myles Brand died Wednesday afternoon after a nine-month bout with pancreatic cancer.

He was 67. He lived in Indianapolis and is survived by his wife Peg and his adult son, Joshua.

"I'm heartbroken," said Adams. "It's a great loss to me personally, and an even bigger loss to the organization."

Brand was named association president in 2002, and took the helm January 2003. In January he announced he had cancer and continued to run the organization's day-to-day operations.

The executive committee will immediately appoint an acting president, and eventually begin a national search for Brand's successor, Adams said.

"I think Myles will be remembered for his emphasis on the student athlete," Adams said. "There are literally thousands of kids who never knew him who will be better off because of what he's done."

Details about funeral arrangements are pending.

- Staff writers Marcus K. Garner and Larry Hartstein and the Associated Press contributed.