With the application deadline closing on Wednesday, April 15, Utah State University Eastern (USUE) is nearing the next step to fill its men’s basketball coach vacancy. The position became available after the school and former coach Adjalma Becheli separated earlier this year.
Greg Dart, USUE’s Associate Vice President, has been ecstatic with the available options to fill the role thus far. “The caliber of applicants is amazing,” he said. “We are thrilled with those we have received and expect to receive more through Wednesday.”
Current social distancing guidelines have made the hiring process different this year than any time before. All interviews and interactions have been conducted virtually, which is “something new for both our institution and all the candidates,” said Dart.
While there are unique challenges to the process due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of viable candidates is not one of them. Dart continued, “A search like this attracts a very large applicant pool, and trying to decide who to interview between more than 100 applicants can be a daunting task, but the search committee is vetting resumes and putting in the hard work.”
In fact, current conditions might help the search committee shed a light on how the prospects react during difficult and unusual times. Dart alluded to this fact when he mentioned that “having a search go on at a time like this gives us a unique opportunity to see how coaches work in a virtual environment.”
Dart concluded, “We are confident that we will bring on a tremendous coach and representative of Utah State Eastern. We anticipate naming the next coach by May 4.”