The primary candidate to be Miami's new AD is likely out before he could get in

Could a pivot be coming in the search for the next Miami Hurricanes athletic director?

From the moment the announcement was made about the recently-retired Dan Radakovich, the name floated around as his replacement was Michael Yormark. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that Yormark, who currently serves as the President of Branding and Strategy for Roc Nation, was offered the job in late April. Jackson added that the twin brother of Big XII commissioner Brett Yormark fit the bill of what the Hurricanes' administration was looking for to manage today's world of college athletics.

But the announcement of Yormark as the primary candidate to replace Radakovich has been met with the excitement of getting a root canal and now Jackson is reporting that the negative reaction may force Miami to look elsewhere.

Miami Hurricanes fans aren't thrilled with the idea of Michael Yormark as the new AD

The announcement of Yormark's name was not received well. There were concerns on the athletic side that he would try to do his brother a solid and convince Hurricane athletics to move to the Big XII where the ACC eventually dissolves. That seems a little silly in hindsight because he wouldn't be able to do that without a lot of support, especially given the financial gap that exists between the Big XII and the SEC/Big 10.

But more than the concerns about some backdoor deal to make Miami a member of the Big XII, Hurricane fans just don't like Yormark and they don't want him making decisions about their favorite school. And the fact that it would come at the expense of running the well-liked Radakovich out the door increases the anger.

The perception of Yormark's personality, whether fair or not, is not what fans want to replace Radakovich, who got his graduate degree at Miami and has over 40 years of experience in college athletics administration. I don't believe anyone is against the idea of Miami bringing in someone that can help the athletic programs navigate this ever-changing landscape of college sports, but they want to like the guy that's doing it. 

On the surface, Yormark made some sense. He has ties to the area from when he was an executive for the Florida Panthers and his time at Roc Nation, on both the sports and entertainment side, have equipped him with the knowledge and connections that would serve student-athletes well. But fans simply don't trust him.

Miami fans have identified their favorite to succeed Dan Radakovich

If Yormark isn't the guy that fans want, who is? The answer is Jim Frevola.  

Frevola is the President of Business Operations for AFC Bournemouth in the English Premier League and has been the Chief Commercial Officer for the Vegas Golden Knights and involved with the senior leadership group for the Tampa Bay Lightning. More importantly, Frevola is a Hurricane, a graduate in the Class of 1992 who was also the Associate Athletic Director for External Operations for Miami in the late 2000s.

There's a level of trust that fans have for Frevola, and it's one shared by other alums like FOX Sports' Chris Fallica. If the pivot from Yormark to Frevola happens, it's going to be very well received by those that love the Miami Hurricanes. 

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