Almost two months after Cheryl Levick resigned from her position as Saint Louis University Athletic Director, questions remain about the reasons behind her sudden departure.

Levick resigned from her post of director of athletics in late June of this year, effective Aug. 1, following a controversial move by SLU President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., in March.

After a rough year with the SLU Men’s Basketball team, the job of coach Brad Soderberg was in question. Levick suggested that Soderberg be given one more year at his post; Biondi overruled her, and Soderberg was fired with little warning. Biondi then hired Soderberg’s replacement, Rick Majerus, without input from Levick or her staff.

Levick was crucial in transitioning the school into the Atlantic 10 Conference; the University also hosted the men’s soccer final four during her tenure, which saw SLU earn NCAA tournament bids for three teams. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in the planning of the Chaifetz Arena.

“I enjoyed my three years as the Saint Louis Athletic Director,” said Levick in a brief statement to The University News. “I am proud of what we accomplished during that time, especially the new on-campus arena and practice facility.”
The former athletic director accepted a position with the University of Maryland, where she is the chief of staff for the Terrapins, a job that includes a $55 million budget and almost 30 collegiate teams-an “exciting opportunity” according to Levick.

She told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the day after her resignation that the “firing of Brad Soderberg [has been] challenging for me . Father Biondi and I are on opposite sides of that situation.”

The University has remained mute on the resignation of Levick and the firing of Soderberg, drawing harsh criticism from Billiken patrons and local media outlets, such as the Post-Dispatch.

Columnist Bryan Burwell warns Levick’s successor that he will “not be in charge of the men’s basketball program. That’s Biondi’s bag.”

SLU officials said Levick resigned to join the Terps at Maryland. University Provost Joseph Weixlmann, Ph.D., has been one of few senior administrative officials to acknowledge Levick’s departure.

“I wish to thank Cheryl for all her efforts in moving Billiken athletics forward,” Weixlmann said in a statement prepared by the University. “Under her leadership our Division I men’s and women’s teams have succeeded in continued tradition. We wish her every success in the future.”

Levick arrived at SLU in 2004 following a stint at Santa Clara. In her three years at SLU, women’s volleyball and men’s soccer qualified for NCAA tournaments for the first time, and the baseball team qualified for the first time in 41 years.

She hopes to return to her hometown of St. Louis in the fall of 2008 to attend the first men’s basketball game held at Chaifetz.

“If I could watch the tipoff of the first game, that would be fun to do,” she said.