After weeks of reviewing applications and interviewing potential candidates, the members of the search committee for a new Athletic Director have chosen five finalists for the position.

Andrew Carter, Dr. Dennis Francois, Dr. Rick Goeb, Doug Mosley, and George Nelson Jr. were selected out of 48 applicants as the most qualified to run the athletic department at CMU. With the final candidates set, they will fly into Grand Junction this week to give one final impression before the decision is made.

According to Chief Financial Officer and committee member Pat Doyle, the team did extensive research to make sure that they choose the best fit for the job.

“We were really fortunate,” Doyle said. “There are three coaches and a kinesiology professor along with myself, and they really did their due diligence. They called references and even called their colleague coaches at those institutions to see what their views were. It’s been pretty thorough.”

Each candidate will get one day to speak with faculty, coaches, community members, and senior staff members. Head women’s soccer coach and committee member Erin Sharpe explained that they are excited to meet each applicant in person and let them experience the Grand Valley for themselves.

“We learned a lot from the phone interviews, but obviously when you meet someone in person, it’s very different,” Sharpe said. “We want them to get a feel for our community and what it is like here and how they are going to fit in.”