The recent announcement by Kansas Athletics officials that Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger had formed a committee to help guide the selection of a permanent KU football coach has raised many questions and concerns among those interested in the school’s athletic programs.

Generally speaking, the university’s overall search and hiring process in recent years has not won many blue ribbons. Thank goodness there have been exceptions.

Now, there is another search, this time for a football coach, one of the highest-paid individuals on the campus and one of the most visible. It also is a costly decision because the athletic department has been in the business recently of paying millions of dollars to buy out contracts of unsuccessful coaches as well as an athletic director. How many costly hires can the school afford?

A group of unnamed individuals has been selected by Zenger to review potential coaches and come up with one or two finalists for the AD, and maybe the chancellor, to consider. They are to be assisted by Chuck Neinas, a former Big 12 interim commissioner, who helped KU hire former Athletic Director Lew Perkins. Some say the AD is supposed to have the skills and knowledge to assess the potential coach market and make a wise decision.

Neinas is a big name in college recruiting circles and, in the past, he has recommended winners as well as losers around the country. KU did not say what Neinas would be paid.

The old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” should apply to the entire football coach selection process — past and present.

Hopefully, the current selection committee will focus on new, up-and-coming stars in the coaching business, happily and successfully employed at their current schools rather than concentrating on older coaches who are out of work, looking for a job or unhappy where they are.

It’s a major challenge, but how many misses can the school afford — afford in terms of how losing records affect the image of the school and the ability to attract top recruits, as well as in terms of dollars — dollars spent to pay off unsuccessful coaches and dollars lost in ticket sales and contributions.

A lot is riding on how well the newly formed anonymous search and selection committee does its job.