Brand departure shocks campus

The five and a half month search for the new president of the NCAA may have been one of the best kept secrets in recent memory.\nWhen IU President Myles Brand was named president of the NCAA Oct. 10, the news shocked many around the Bloomington campus.\nIU Chancellor Sharon Brehm said she was so stunned at the news of Brand's resigning that she didn't know what to think. Brehm said she believes \nthat shock is the general consensus around the campus.\n"I was surprised. Everybody was really surprised," Brehm said. "It took a while for it to sink in. We didn't know it was coming."\nBrand said the search was done in a very professional manner. He said in a statement that he expected the IU community to be very surprised.\nThe Atlanta-based search firm of Baker, Parker, and Associates assisted in the search of the candidates and presented their information to the search committee. Jerry Baker said his firm was very concerned about the secrecy of the search and was pleased that they were able to pull it off.\n"It was a high-profile case, and the NCAA requested that we keep it a secret," Baker said. "We got calls from USA Today, ESPN and Sports Illustrated. I directed them all to Bob Lawless (chair of the search committee). I give credit to the search committee for keeping it a secret."\nBrehm said she believes the NCAA required the secrecy to allow for the free discussion of all potential candidates.\nDave Frohnmayer, an NCAA Executive Committee member, said keeping it secret was best for the protection of the candidates.\n"The caliber of people were the kind who could be hurt if news of their candidacy became public," Frohnmayer said. "The candidates may not have been given a fair opportunity for the job. Secrecy was crucial to the development of the position."\nEven members of the NCAA Executive Committee were kept in the dark until early Thursday morning.\n"We've been as confidential as we can," Lawless said in a statement Thursday. "We did tell the Executive Committee at seven (Thursday) morning who the finalists were. Nobody left the room. So we were quite secure that there wasn't going to be any leaks. I think we did a good job."\nIU spokesman Bill Stephan said he too was surprised at the tightly guarded secret and will be very sad to see Brand leave. Brehm said everyone is wishing him well.\n"President Brand has given his all to this University," Brehm said. "He has been a very hard worker. Whatever job he has, he will be very dedicated to it."\nStaff writer Josh Weinfuss contributed to this story.