Sports

SIAC fires Lide as commissioner

• William Lide loses his job after an audit reveals problems with the conference’s finances.

Scott Chancey

ALBANY — The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced Monday it has fired William Lide as its commissioner after an audit cited him with financial mismanagement.

Tuskegee University President Benjamin E. Payton, who is chairman of the SIAC’s Council of Presidents, said in a statement that the council voted to fire Lide after suspending him with pay April 15.

Payton said Lide’s termination was effective Saturday. The statement said a recent internal audit found numerous irregularities, including alleged mishandling of conference finances and failure to inform conference leaders of the league’s “real financial challenges.”

Attempts to contact Lide on his cell phone Monday were unsuccessful Payton, who had no comment April 19 when contacted by The Herald after the council named George Mategakis — whose main title is Assistant to the Commissioner and Director of Championships —has been interim commissioner since April 16.

When Mategakis and conference director of communications, Harry Stinson III, were contacted by The Herald on April 19, they denied that Lide had been suspended.

“It’s just hearsay,” Stinson said in April. “As far as I know, he hasn’t been terminated or anything like that.”

One day after the Tuscaloosa News first reported the suspension April 18, Mategakis said, “We are both denying it.”

On Monday, Mategakis said the council did not tell anyone to lie.

“We had clear instructions from the council not to share the information (about Lide’s suspension),” Mategakis said.

The SIAC, based in Tucker, has 13 member schools that compete in NCAA Division II.

Lide, a Darlington, S.C., native, became commissioner of the SIAC in 2003, and previously served as athletic director of the University of Central Arkansas. He holds a doctorate from Ohio State University, where he was a graduate assistant under football coach Woody Hayes.

Albany State athletic director Joshua Murfree, who is a close friend of Lide’s, said  the decision was justified.

“I just think the situation is like this,” Murfree said. “It was best for the conference at the time. It seemed they had some conclusive data. We were close and still are close. But the council thought it was best to terminate him. They did an audit and had some findings. It’s about doing what’s best for the conference. And I agree with the council; it’s about business, not friendship.”

Murfree, who said he would not consider being the conference’s commissioner because being a college president is a long-term goal, added the SIAC will move on.

“We will continue to do the necessary things to make the conference grow,” he said. “The athletic directors are in agreement with the president’s council. We wish Dr. Lide the best. He’s done some great things for the conference.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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