AGGIES NAME INTERIM AD

[krazykev]

GREENSBORO - Earl M. Hilton III has been appointed interim athletics director at North Carolina A&T State University, effective Monday, Oct. 25. Hilton most recently served as assistant vice chancellor of student affairs and has also served as the associate athletics director. The announcement was made today by Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr.

"Earl will assume the leadership of our athletics program as we launch an aggressive, national search for a new athletics director," said Chancellor Martin. "He has extensive experience in athletics and an abundance of expertise in NCAA compliance, budget oversight and personnel management. I am confident in his ability to manage our athletics program until a new athletics director is selected."

www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205016961&DB_OEM_ID=24500

[runaggierun]

www.news-record.com/content/2010/10/26/article/little_things_are_big_to_interim_ad

Little things are big to interim AD at N.C. A&T

GREENSBORO — Justin Ferrell was headed for his seat in front of the three TV cameras gathered for N.C. A&T's weekly football news conference Monday afternoon.

Suddenly a hand shot out and grabbed Ferrell by the shoulder, stopping one of the MEAC's toughest defensive players in his tracks.

Earl Hilton's keen blue eyes noticed the back of Ferrell's necktie poking out from under the collar of his dress shirt. Hilton helped Ferrell fix the fashion faux pas — something the cameras wouldn't have seen, anyway.

It was a small act. But it summed up what N.C. A&T's interim athletics director said he brings to the job.

Attention to detail.

Quick action.

A desire to help.

Monday was Hilton's first day on the job, filling in while Chancellor Harold Martin starts an "aggressive national search" for a full-time AD.

Martin fired AD Wheeler Brown and compliance director Darryl Hills in the last 10 days, two months after 20-year-old Jospin "Andre" Milandu collapsed and died at an unofficial tryout on A&T's track. Milandu hadn't had a physical, and autopsy results revealed he had sickle cell trait.

A&T conducted an internal investigation after the death, but has yet to release the materials used for the inquiry.

Roy Thompson, the Aggies track coach for 26 years, has said he plans to retire Dec. 1.

"My challenges would mirror those of the institution," Hilton said Monday. "... We're in the middle of our 10-year (NCAA) certification, so that's going to be a focus for us. But ideally what we're trying to do is establish a sound administrative, compliance and fiscal structure so we can be in a position to hand that off to the new AD."

[blessedaggie84]

Even as an interim AD i really hopes he makes a huge positive impact on the athletic department.

[@ProfBellamy]

I wish Earl luck. I am very upset that he will be pulling double-duty in Athletics & Student Affairs. Hopefully Dr. Calloway and other administrators will provide some additional support in this transitional time. We really need dedicated eyes on athletics to even make sure that its ready for a new permanent AD.