Heaney, Acadia would appear to be good fit

Within the next couple of weeks, Acadia University should have a new director of varsity athletics.

If, as is being strongly rumoured, Brian Heaney is the front runner, if Heaney in fact ends up being the ultimate selection and if he accepts the position (which I'm hearing he would); my feeling is Acadia will have made the best possible choice.

Heaney is an Acada graduate - the beloved “Hawk” of Acadia championship basketball squads from 1965 to 1969 and of the national champions in 1965, his freshman year; and who still holds the record for points in a university game, with an incredible 74.

With the exception of Bev Greenlaw, who brought his own credentials to the position, all of Acadia's athletic directors in recent memory have been Acadia graduates, which has to be an advantage when it comes to understanding how the school works.

Heaney knows the game of basketball, having experienced it at most if not all levels: as a player, both university and (briefly) professional, as a successful coach, both in the university ranks and with the national team; and as an NBA commentator for TSN.

It shouldn't be too much of a stretch for him to translate that considerable knowledge into dealing with other varsity sports.

He is also more than familiar with administration, having served as a senior vice-president for two major insurance companies, and one would have to think he is extremely well-connected when it comes to funding sources.

Heaney's name first surfaced a couple of years ago in connection with a vacancy then for Acadia's varsity men's basketball coach. I felt Heaney probably wouldn't seriously consider that position - even though he was reportedly Acadia's first choice for the job. When he apparently removed his name from competition, I wasn't all that surprised.

Now, though, one would have to think circumstances have changed. Heaney is a few years older, that much closer to retirement and has publically expressed an interest in returning to live in Nova Scotia, which holds many happy memories for him.

What a perfect choice to continue the work of rebuilding the Acadia athletics program begun by the former director Dan McNally.

Heaney has always been a straight-up kind of guy: no-nonsense, yet flexible when flexibility is called for. As a former coach, he should be more than willing to stand up for his coaches when required - and able to back them up if any problems arise.

While he was the men's basketball coach at Saint Mary's during the 1970s, he fully immersed himself in the Halifax community; there's no reason to think he wouldn't do the same in Wolfville.

The only real knock against him - if it can even be called a negative - is his age (he will turn 61 in September). I personally don't see that as a huge problem; after all, you're only as old as you feel and, besides, the usual “shelf life” for athletic directors is somewhere around five years - or, in Heaney's case, just in time for a slightly delayed (and well-deserved) retirement.

With all due respect to the other finalists - who are, I am sure, quality people with strengths of their own - the chance to hire a person of Brian Heaney's stature, even for a relatively short time, may (and should) be too attractive an option to pass up.