Plans to select Harper's permanent replacement are underway, Crady said. An informal group consisting of Crady, Harper, Ceplikas, Associate Dean of the College Gordon Taylor and Drew Galbraith, associate director of athletics for compliance and administration, is currently organizing an external review of the department to begin in mid-August.
Crady declined to disclose the names of the five individuals who will be performing the review.
The review will examine what Crady identified as five key aspects of the athletic department club sports, recruitment and compliance, recreational fitness, facilities and operations and varsity sports. The selection process will begin after the review is complete and will most likely occur at the beginning of next year, Crady said.
"What I've been told is that the best time to look for athletic director candidates is in January," he said, adding that advertising for the position would begin in December.
"[The search] would not be so fast that we would somehow not properly screen the candidates we're looking for," he added.
Kim's arrival on campus could muddle the timeline, however, as current plans are subject to his review and consultation before they are implemented, Crady said.
"We just want to make sure he's comfortable with what we've laid out so far," he said.
The College postponed the search for Harper's permanent replacement until the new College president took office, opting instead to appoint an interim director so that Kim could participate in the hiring, Ceplikas said.
Crady said that the search will be a "fairly transparent process," one in which potential candidates would have the opportunity to give presentations on campus and speak to the public about their plans for Dartmouth athletics.
Crady neither confirmed nor denied whether Ceplikas or head football coach Buddy Teevens '79 are prospects, adding that "it would be inappropriate to speculate about who the candidates may be" and that any qualified applicants would be considered for the position.
Ceplikas said that he is not sure if he "will throw [his] hat in the ring when the search begins," but noted that he will resume his current duties as deputy athletic director if he chooses not to pursue or is not selected for the position.
Both Crady and Ceplikas stressed that leadership and a knowledge of Ivy League athletics are necessary for Harper's successor.
"It's important to understand the strengths and the challenges that come from the Ivy League," Ceplikas said. "We have extraordinary student athletes and a great history and tradition in our league, butwe're the only Division I athletic conference without athletic aid, and we have extremely high admissions standards."
Ceplikas plans to spend the upcoming year ensuring the department provides a positive experience for student athletes while coping with budgetary constraints, he said.
"It's important to me that we keep the department moving forward during the interim year rather than thinking of myself as a one-year caretaker," Ceplikas said.
Ceplikas has the ability to oversee the successful evolution of the athletic department, Crady said.
"We feel that [Ceplikas] is completely prepared to step into the acting role and move the program forward this year," he said. "And I have complete confidence that he can do it."
