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Welp, looks like what has long been speculated will now be permanent. According to Mike Vernon of the San Francisco Chronicle, Cal interim athletic director Mike Williams will soon be the guy to replace Sandy Barbour officially as the long-term athletic director for the program. Note: This is not official, but it sounds like it's happening.
Williams did not confirm or deny that he's #Cal's next AD: "If there's news, it's coming out of the Chancellor's office."
— Mike Vernon (@M_Vernon) May 4, 2015
Mike Williams: "I think we've done a lot of great things in the last 10 months." #Cal
— Mike Vernon (@M_Vernon) May 4, 2015
Again, not much is really known about Williams. He stepped in for a time as the interim while John Wilton and Nicholas Dirks took a more active role in the management of Cal Athletics, and it seemed like he'd only be here for a short period of time until a more official search was conducted. But Williams eventually decided that he was really interested in the job. After a year of searching for the new athletic director and Williams seeming to win over the corner of the Chancellor, it seems we're back where we started.
Williams's biggest priorities will be fundraising and alumni outreach to bring Cal Athletics revenue more in line with the other major California programs like USC, UCLA and Stanford. With major changes coming to college sports likely in the next decade, it'll be important for Cal to fill their coffers for the uncertain future.
What do you all think of the potential Mike Williams hire?