Last week, West Texas A&M designated Thompson Mayberry, associate athletic director for corporate relations, to serve as interim director of athletics while the university conducts a search to replace Michael McBroom, who officially began his duties at Stephen F. Austin on May 15. 

WT president Dr. Walter Wendler announced a 14-member search committee led by provost and executive vice president for academic affairs Dr. Neil Terry. Football coach Josh Lynn and men’s basketball coach Tom Brown are among the members selected to serve on the committee.

As expected, there are numerous quality candidates to lead the Buffs' athletic department. Whoever is selected will face immediate pressure to continue the excellence McBroom started in 2006, considering the Buffs claimed nine national championships and more than 100 Lone Star Conference titles during his tenure. The new athletic director will inherit some of the best facilities in NCAA Division II after McBroom raised nearly $100 million to renovate existing facilities and build new ones.

Internal candidates include deputy athletic director and director of athletic performance Sarah Ramey, senior associate athletic director for external relations Casey Lish, senior associate athletic director for facilities and event operations Kent Johnson, legendary men’s soccer coach Butch Lauffer, and former WT assistant football coach and current assistant dean and associate professor of sports and exercise science Dr. Rick Haasl.

External candidates include current Sul Ross State athletic director Amanda Workman, who is leading the Lobos through a transition to DII and the LSC. Before arriving in Alpine, she spent 11 years as senior associate athletic director for external relations under McBroom at WT.

Since his arrival in November 2020, Todd Dooley has quickly turned UTPB into a consistent contender within the LSC and a regional threat. The Falcons had an extremely successful 2023-2024 school year, winning LSC titles in football and men’s tennis with six programs (football, women’s basketball, swimming and diving, golf, men’s tennis, and baseball), reaching the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Dr. Paul Weir began his career as a college basketball coach in 2004 and eventually became head coach at New Mexico and New Mexico State before transitioning to the administrative side of college athletics as athletic director at Eastern New Mexico in 2021. Currently the deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Abilene Christian, Weir helped secure several facility improvements during his time at ENMU and helped the Greyhounds athletics develop their first-ever endowments.