photo by: Nick Krug

In this file photo from Nov. 8, 2017, University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod, right, and KU athletic director Sheahon Zenger watch the action from the sideline at a KU volleyball game.

The best way to maintain a large pool of interested candidates for a Division I athletic director’s job is to keep the names secret. Kansas has done a terrific job of that.

If leaks sprouted, too many candidates would incur the wrath of the trees they shake for money, all the while telling the trees they love their dream jobs.

So that takes care of that question. Other FAQ:

1 – What is your over/under on the naming of KU’s next AD?

July 2.

The same people who either don’t know anything about the identities of the leading candidates or say they don’t know so as not to put themselves at risk of getting fired aren’t as tight-lipped about the timetable.

Before the days of the 24/7 news cycle, bad news was saved for Friday afternoons, a tradition that still seems to be in place. Since this presumably will be good news, why not on a Monday?

That week is the same week several point toward, so if it’s not Monday, then later that week.

2 – What’s your over/under on the new AD’s first day on the job?

July 30, a Monday.

3 – Might the new athletic director hire her or his own football coach right off the bat?

No. Such things don’t happen in July. The new AD will get the lay of the land first. David Beaty will coach Kansas against Nicholls State, Central Michigan and Rutgers, a fairly easy nonconference schedule, compared to some seasons.

4 – Are there any out-of-work athletic directors who might be interested?

Louisville’s Tom Zurich.

4a – But wasn’t he fired because of the scandals at Louisville?

Yes, but he received a reported $7.2 million (plus tickets to football and basketball games and medical insurance) settlement in a wrongful termination lawsuit. That goes a long way toward putting him back as a candidate for a big job.

Face it, if the feds don’t share the information from their investigation into college basketball with the NCAA and the NCAA doesn’t launch one of its own, it’s the wild, wild West. Plus, the guy has a good track record for hiring football coaches.

5 – Any clue on Sheahon Zenger’s immediate plans?

My guess is that for the next year, his son Jake’s senior year, he will enjoy being a dad, and if he does anything in the way of work, it will be as an assistant football coach at his son’s high school. In the spring, he’ll watch from the stands as Jake closes games for for perennial baseball powerhouse Free State High.

After that, he’ll resume his career, but that’s just a guess. A year off won’t hurt his ability to land a job.