Kansas City, Mo ? Lew Perkins was No. 1 on a very short list of candidates to become the new athletic director at Kansas University, says the man who secretly aided in the search.

Chuck Neinas, the head of Neinas Sports Services, told The Associated Press that Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway had a pared-down list of four finalists “in the final days of the process.”

“Lew Perkins was clearly their first choice,” said Neinas. “Unless I’m told otherwise, I always give (clients) more than one choice. Lew is a strong administrator who has surrounded himself throughout his career with some really good people.”

Perkins, 58, took the job this week after 13 successful years at Connecticut.

Neinas, who has helped place coaches and administrators at many top universities, including 10 Big 12 Conference schools, said his involvement with Kansas was kept under wraps by mutual consent.

“Chancellor Hemenway and I both felt that was the best way to do it,” said Neinas. “I actually prefer to work anonymously. It just makes it easier to do my job. (Interim athletic director) Drue Jennings called today and released me from my promise of confidentiality.”

Neinas said critics were wrong to say Perkins took the job to get away from the pending crisis at the Big East Conference. If Miami, Syracuse and Boston College join the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East could lose its standing as a major football league, and this would negate Connecticut’s move to Division I-A.

“He was looking for one more challenge. He likes Kansas. He told me that basically, the only schools he would leave Connecticut for would be Kansas and Iowa, his alma mater,” Neinas said.

Perkins’ main challenges will be to upgrade the football and women’s basketball programs. Many Kansas fans believe Marian Washington’s 31-year tenure as women’s coach should be reviewed.

“The chancellor liked the fact that Lew is not afraid to make tough decisions,” Neinas said.