SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Five months after taking over Southern Illinois University’s athletic department, Tommy Bell is still plugging holes. The Salukis’ new Athletic Director lost his four main fund raisers in late June/early July. In order to try to save money — the athletic department recently took a 10-percent hit for the fiscal year as part of a university plan as it awaits a state budget — and make the department more efficient, Bell eliminated. Deputy Athletic Director Chet Savage and reallocated some responsibilities. Bell will now oversee the SIU baseball program, something Savage did during his tenure. Bell plans to hire another external relations position within the next four weeks to help with the department’s fundraising efforts. The amount of cost-saving by Bell’s restructuring is not clear, as the new development leader has not been officially hired yet. – Todd Hefferman, The Southern Illinoisan, Read More