The athletics department still holds its ground in not officially disclosing the names of candidates to be interviewed for the vacant IU men's soccer team head coaching job, however, AD Fred Glass expects a decision to be made by the first of the year.
"It's more important to get it right then get it fast," he said in a phone interview Tuesday. "With that said, though, I expect it to happen soon."
Glass decided Dec. 1 not to renew coach Mike Freitag's contract for the 2010 season, ending a six-year stint as head coach. Freitag-- whose overall record as a head coach was 86-32-19-- finishes out his contract Dec. 31.
According to jobs.iu.edu, the head coaching job description calls for "an experienced, successful coaching professional who is committed to directing a nationally prominent men's soccer program." Further, Glass said he it is important to hire someone who has either played or coached at IU in the past.
In terms of specifics, however, mum's the word.
"I don't think it would be fair to the candidates," Glass said about disclosing names. "We're looking at successful coaches around the country, and I don't think it would be fair to them to say anything."
For Glass' in-depth Q&A regarding Freitag's dismissal and the future of the program, click here.
