With Departure of Martin Jarmond, Boston College Left In Tough Spot

Boston College needs to make another big hire, and they can't afford to miss on this one.

When Martin Jarmond accepted the Boston College athletic director job in 2017, it was widely believed that it would only be a stepping stone job for the 36 year old. He was a fast riser in the world of athletic administration, the protege of long time Ohio State AD Gene Smith. It seemed unlikely that he would stay at BC for an extended period of time, and that a bigger school with a higher profile would eventually poach him from Chestnut Hill. 

That is exactly what happened on Saturday, as Jarmond is reportedly going to be named the new AD at UCLA. He now gets the opportunity to work at a premier program and help to rehabilitate the image of a school that has a history of championships. 

But his departure leaves his former employer Boston College in a difficult spot. The economics of collegiate athletics have been thrown into turmoil because of COVID-19.  Boston College president Father Leahy and the Board of Trustees will have to act quickly and decisively to find a leader to steer the department through these tumultuous times and continue the work Jarmond started. 

The hiring process is going to be a major challenge for the leadership at Boston College. With Massachusetts still mostly closed down, it's going to be difficult if not impossible to get candidates on campus to see the facilities. Most likely all of the interviews will have to be on video calls, and all tours will have to be virtual. The lack of actual face to face time might make finding the perfect candidate tricky. 

It might make sense for BC to name an interim AD, and wait until the COVID crisis dissipates. If that is the case, you may see someone like Sr. Assistant AD Vaughn Williams take the reigns for the time being.

But when the hiring process begins there will be lots of speculation on names for this now open job. Names will be thrown around from internal candidates like Williams, to those with BC connections like VCU AD Ed McLaughlin. But unlike coaching searches, AD jobs are notoriously hard to predict. When Boston College hired Jarmond in 2017, he was well known in the administration world, but his name came out of nowhere when it came to the BC job. And no one knew that Jarmond was in the running for the UCLA job until a few days ago. It's not unreasonable to think that the Eagles could hire a name from another program that has not been connected with Boston College. 

Changes in personnel happen all the time, it is par for the course in the world of college athletics. COVID-19 has changed the landscape, but that can not be an excuse for Boston College. They need to hire a new AD with the passion and energy that Jarmond brought to the Heights to ignite the fan base. They also need to find someone who can finish the fundraising that Jarmond started, bring facilities up to par, and make more difficult coaching changes when the time arises. 

Jarmond's departure leaves a big hole for BC to fill. But it can be done, the leadership at Boston College just need to make sure the make the right hire.  

Related Links

Martin Jarmond Named Next UCLA AD

Martin Jarmond A Finalist for UCLA AD Job

Martin Jarmond a Favorite For UCLA AD Job

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