BYU athletic directors fired

PROVO — Fred Skousen, BYU's vice president for development and athletics, made it simple after firing two athletic directors Wednesday: "There will be more changes."

Those words sent a shiver down backs of employees of BYU's athletic department.

Skousen's remarks came shortly after his announcement at a campus press conference that BYU would not renew contracts of current men's athletic director Val Hale and 40-year veteran coach and women's athletic director Elaine Michaelis.

Hale and Michaelis will be paid through the end of September but are no longer "acting" as employees in the athletic department, Skousen said.

The two have a combined 66 years at the university. While the timing caught many by surprise, for a department struggling to keep finances in the black, the savings in salaries and benefits could provide more than a quarter of a million dollars this fiscal year for a department with an annual budget of about $18 million.

BYU athletics, according to Skousen, may undergo more streamlining in future months.

The firings stunned longtime employees and coaches at BYU who were cautioned not to comment to the media unless arranged through top school officials. Michaelis will retire, and Hale plans on finding a new job.

Citing an in-depth study and analysis of BYU's athletic operations, Skousen said the changes Wednesday are part of an overhaul to streamline and combine the men's and women's athletic departments into one operation and one director.

"I've been here 22 years. If they want to make a change, I fully support their decision," Hale said, admitting he had no advanced warning of his job status until 8:30 Wednesday morning. "We have a great staff who are very capable and bright. I'll move on.

"If I can't find a job that is reputable, I can always go back to work in the media," Hale said, poking fun at his situation and work 25 years ago as a newspaper reporter.

Hale said he told BYU officials the day he was hired as athletic director, he viewed his job as a church calling and with church callings comes a release. "I just got released, and now it's time to move on."

"By having one athletic department, BYU will eliminate any duplication of time and resources, channeling all effort into one cohesive program," Skousen said.