Ken Baker became inundated with his work as the interim athletic director.

The former campus recreational director became too busy with the duties to run the program and has handed the workload to two different people, those that worked closest to him.

Those people are Kevin Linker and Sarah Daugherty.

Linker and Daugherty began as the co-directors of campus recreation at the end of August.

Linker has been the assistant director since 1994 and is the program’s intramural sports program director.

Daugherty is the current facilities director.

Baker plans to return to his role as campus recreational director once an athletic director is hired.

Intramurals began in the 1950s with the majority of student being former high school athletes and collegiate athletes. According to the Daily Eastern News archives, intramurals thrived around the 1970s.

In 2002, Linker brought hall competition races to the intramural program. He graduated with a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1994 and was the campus recreational facilities and intramural sports program director. Linker graduated in 1992 from Western Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in sports management.

Linker said he is still trying to get adjusted to being the intramural sports director and being the co-campus director.

“My days are a lot fuller,” Linker said.

Daugherty graduated from Eastern with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2001and graduated with a master’s degree in recreation, park and tourism administration, with a concentration in public and campus recreation in 2003.

Like Baker, she is a Charleston High School graduate.

The combination of Linker and Daugherty has been successful.

Daugherty said she and Linker had been working on getting the new equipment including new bench equipment, flat benches, inclines, declines and lateral pull downs and have now finished. They are still working on installing security cameras within the next two to three weeks.

“We handle the day-to-day basis,” Daugherty said. “I’m trying to transition. I hope I can do justice (to the program).”

The Charleston native said she has been trying to work without Baker as much.

She also added that Eastern has one of the best facilities she has seen in her experience.

Daugherty has worked at Northern Kentucky University and Western Illinois University.

“We’re looking forward to Ken being back,” Daugherty said.

Baker is busy with the duties of being an athletic director and an NFL official referee.

Eastern is searching for a permanent athletic director.

The search involves naming a committee and the appointment of a committee chair.

Nominations should be given to Vice President for Student Affairs Dan Nadler by Sept. 28.

According to president Bill Perry, the search committee will most likely convene in October to begin the national search.

Perry also said campus interviews should begin in February or March, with the new athletic director scheduled to begin employment in July.

“I want the (next athletic director) to continue to the next level,” Perry said.

He said that includes a level of accomplishment for the student-athletes.

Baker, who has served as director of Campus Recreation at Eastern since 2000, is the full-time interim athletic director. Perry introduced Baker as the athletic director at an athletic department meeting on Aug. 21.

Perry has been pleased with Baker’s work.

“He’s done a great job of pulling people together,” Perry said.

Women’s head basketball coach Brady Sallee was also pleased.

“Ken had the ability to rally the troops,” Sallee said. “You bring in someone supportive like Ken and he’s going to help you do your job.”

Former athletic director Rich McDuffie was put on 12 months paid administrative leave Aug. 13. McDuffie had served at Eastern for the past 11 years.

McDuffie’s contract with the university would have expired in June 2009, but Jill Nilsen, vice president of external relations said one year from Aug. 13 would have been McDuffie’s last day of employment at Eastern.

According to DEN archives, Perry said Baker would not be a candidate for the permanent position.

Before Baker, Nadler served as the temporary athletic director.

McDuffie took the position on March 25, 1997 when Bob McBee had resigned during the previous summer.

Current NCAA Administrator Gail Richard served as the chairman of that athletic director search committee.

When McBee had resigned in the summer of 1996 and McDuffie started his duties in March, former Eastern President Lou Hencken served as the acting athletic head director.

McBee organized Eastern’s conference from the Mid-Continent (now Summit League) to the Ohio Valley Conference. McBee was chosen from about 80 applicants and was one of four finalists.

Former track coach and Eastern athlete John Craft served as the interim athletic director between Mike Ryan and McBee.

Ryan left in 1993 to pursue other interests.

Sarah Dugherty and Kevin Linker have recently taken over direction of the Student Recreation Center after Ken Baker was named interim Atheletic Director.

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