Northwest -- Dickson To Leave WSU For Tulane

PULLMAN - Washington State University athletic director Rick Dickson has agreed to take the AD's post at Tulane University in New Orleans. Dickson told Washington State athletics staffers of his decision yesterday.

Dickson did not return a phone message left at his office after business hours. But WSU officials scheduled a press conference this afternoon.

Dickson is expected to stay until March to finish some fund-raising for the indoor practice facility.

At Tulane, he replaces Sandy Barbour, who was fired in August.

Dickson confirmed in a prepared statement he had been contacted by Tulane officials.

"My initial response to their inquiry was that I was not looking for a change, that my family and I were very happy at WSU, and that I really didn't have the time to even think about another job offer," Dickson said. "However, they convinced me to take a visit to the school last weekend."

Dickson, who has been at WSU since 1994, currently makes $154,293 per year.

Because Tulane is a private university, the salary of its AD post has not been released. The school is a member of Conference USA.

Dickson arrived at Washington State, a Pacific-10 Conference school, after serving as athletic director at Tulsa. He played defensive back in football for three years at Tulsa, graduating in 1976.

At WSU, Dickson has overseen the construction of a new 14,000 square-foot weight room and a renovation to Bohler Gym.

In addition, he already has raised $10 million for a $15 million indoor practice facility.

Washington State's 1997 football team made it to the Rose Bowl but has finished at the bottom of the Pac-10 the past two seasons.