Seeking to become better informed during a coaching hire, the Arizona Board of Regents on Thursday adopted a proposal mandating exactly that.
In its Flagstaff meeting, the board approved procedural guidelines suggested by its own Intercollegiate Athletics Task Force.
University presidents are now responsible for providing "complete and timely information" to the board chair and board president during "critical points in the process" of hiring head coaches in football, men's and women's basketball and baseball.
That includes salary, contract terms, buyouts, academic and athletic performance incentives, perks and benefits, due diligence about previous NCAA violations and more.
Presidents must update the board "before the university provides any information to the press," according to the proposal.
The proposal provides a "standard operating process for the search process," UA athletic director Greg Byrne said Thursday.
"When the idea was brought up, I thought it was a good thing," Byrne said, "because it helps us define what the procedure needs to be, where there's no question about it."
Byrne, whose reputation for stealthy searches was reinforced with his hiring of football coach Rich Rodriguez in November, said the new proposal won't compromise a process that often relies on confidentiality.
"My understanding is just that I don't have to give them every little detail," he said, "but as we're progressing further (in the search), that they're aware of it."
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