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Thursday, October 30, 1997

UTPA athletic director leaving Friday; heading to New Mexico

EDINBURG, Texas (AP) -- Gary Gallup, whose rocky five-year tenure as athletic director at UT-Pan American included a rare refusal by the NCAA to certify the athletics program, is resigning his post Friday.

Gallup, who announced the resignation last week, will head to Albuquerque to serve as assistant executive director of the Golden Gloves Association of America. His father, Stan Gallup, is executive director of the operation.

James R. Langabeer, vice president of business affairs at the University of Texas-Pan American, will serve as interim athletic director until a replacement is hired. A national search will begin immediately, Langabeer said.

Last fall, the NCAA refused to certify the university's athletics program, saying it has failed to operate in accordance with association standards. The school already was on a four-year probation.

UTPA became the first Division I school not to receive certification since the NCAA began the examination process in 1993.

The NCAA certification process examines an athletic department's academic and financial integrity, governance and commitment to rules compliance, and commitment to equity.

In the case of UTPA, the NCAA concluded the university had not exhibited adequate commitment to rules compliance.

The NCAA found that two assistant coaches had improperly helped potential recruits with correspondence coursework in 1993. The university was cited for a lack of institutional control in failing to monitor its coaches adequately for wrongdoing.

This year, the Sun Belt Conference announced it would sever ties with UTPA in 1998. UTPA is trying to join the Southland Conference.

Gallup told The (McAllen) Monitor that the problems didn't factor into his decision to leave.

"We have fought through those battles," he said. "They've been long, hard battles. We've come through them. We've developed a great compliance program, because the NCAA made us jump through so many hoops."