EWU president declines to comment on status of AD Bill Chaves

As her athletic director pursues a similar position elsewhere, Eastern Washington University president Mary Cullinan declined to comment Friday on Bill Chaves’ future status.

Chaves has served as EWU’s athletic director since 2007. His current five-year contract, approved in 2013 by former EWU president Rodolfo Arevalo, will expire on June 30.

Contacted Friday, Cullinan has offered no indication on whether Chaves’ contract will be renewed.

“The president strongly believes it is not appropriate or fair to comment publicly on someone’s employment or contract situation,” said Dave Meany, director of media relations at EWU, in an email sent Friday afternoon.

However, Cullinan offered Chaves her support in his pursuit of the position at North Dakota.

“This sounds like an excellent opportunity for Bill, and I respect his personal decision as an administrator to seek new challenges,” Cullinan said in a statement released Friday.

Chaves was not available for comment on Thursday or Friday.

On Thursday, UND announced that Chaves is one of four finalists to replace the retiring Brian Faison.

Chaves and the other finalists will appear next week for interviews and public forums. The UND search committee is expected to make a recommendation before next weekend.

UND began application reviews more than a month ago, which means that Chaves has been pursuing the position for at least six weeks.