Iowa athletic director Bob Bowlsby has moved to the top of Duke's list to replace retiring AD Tom Butters, the Associated Press reported Monday.
Bowlsby interviewed in Durham over the weekend, and he told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls (Iowa) Courier that Duke has offered him the position at a salary package of at least $300,000 plus free college educations for his children.
Members of Duke's search committee would not confirm the report. But the AP said Bowlsby expected to make a decision by "midweek, Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.
"At this point in time, I really don't know what the outcome will be, what my decision is going to be," he told the AP. "But we're going to need to come to closure on it in the foreseeable future."
The short timetable for a decision may be due to Duke's fast-approaching Board of Trustees meeting scheduled for Friday, Feb. 27.
Bowlsby currently makes $130,000 as athletic director at Iowa, a job he has held since 1991. He served as Northern Iowa's athletic boss for seven years before that.
University of Iowa Vice President Ann Rhodes met with Bowlsby this week. Although she would not confirm that Bowlsby was Duke's main target, she admitted that he is interested in the job and that Iowa planned a counter-offer.
"We will try very hard to keep him, but in terms of base salary I don't think we can match Duke's offer," Rhodes told The Chronicle. "There wasn't a decision yet when I talked to Bob."
Iowa men's basketball coach Tom Davis told the media Monday that he spoke with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski over the weekend.
"Coach K called me, and I talked to him quite a while," Davis said. "One of the first things he asked me was whether Iowa was trying to get rid of [Bowlsby], and I assured him that was not the case."
Davis, whose contract expires after next season, reiterated Rhodes' hopes that the Hawkeyes could retain Bowlsby.
"I'd hate to see him leave, and I know I speak for all the coaches here that he's done a great job at Iowa," Davis said.
Along with Davis, football coach Hayden Fry is also nearing the end of his contract, and wrestling coach Dan Gable-a legend in Iowa sports-is pondering a return from a one-year sabbatical.
All of these upcoming scenarios at Iowa would make Bowlsby's decision to move or stay that much more difficult.
"We've got great people at Iowa, a lot of really good things going on," Bowlsby said. "I wasn't looking for a job."
But he acknowledged the allure of the Duke position.
"I haven't gotten all of the details yet," he said. "I went down there and was impressed with what I saw. They have some truly outstanding people there."
Bowlsby grew up in Waterloo, where he wrestled at West High. He graduated from Moorehead State (Minn.) University and earned a master's degree at Iowa before joining Northern Iowa as an assistant athletic director.
Bowlsby and his wife have four children. He is currently the head of the NCAA Management Council.
The Daily Iowan contributed to this story.
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