Michelle McKenna-Doyle no longer pursuing Auburn AD position

AUBURN — Michelle McKenna-Doyle will not be the new athletic director at her alma mater.

The chief information official for the NFL confirmed to the Montgomery Advertiser late Saturday evening that she informed Auburn President Steven Leath that she was no longer pursuing the job.

“I pulled out of the running as time went on,” McKenna-Doyle said. “I am fully committed to the NFL and to continuing to support Auburn as a fan.”

McKenna-Doyle, a graduate of the Auburn School of Business with a degree in accounting, has already transformed everything you see on a NFL sideline technologically including the Microsoft tablets coaches use, to the video replays during game television broadcasts. McKenna-Doyle was the first senior administrator hired in the NFL and has experience working under Auburn’s then-athletic director Pat Dye after graduating in 1987.

Current athletic director Jay Jacobs announced that he will step down on June 1, 2018, or sooner if his successor is in place. Jacobs, who has been in that position for nearly 13 years, has continued in his current role but told reporters last month he was not primarily involved in the new contract extension for football coach Gus Malzahn that was reportedly a 7-year deal worth $49 million.

Leath told the Montgomery Advertiser in November that he’s hoping to announce a new athletic director sometime this month.

“I would anticipate completing this process in January,” Leath said. “We’re not trying to be fast. We’re trying to get it right.”

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A source very close to the school’s athletic director search said “there’s a scenario (Leath) may name somebody (as the next athletic director) in a week or two. And there’s another (scenario) that will take much longer." The same source certainly didn’t rule out the possibility that McKenna-Doyle would be used as valuable resource for the athletic department’s new regime.

“Michelle is incredibly accomplished,” the source said. “Look for Auburn to look for ways to involve her going forward in some way.”

McKenna-Doyle, who has a masters degree in business from Rollins College, was the chief information officer at the Universal Orlando Resort after having a long tenure as a key executive in helping the Walt Disney Company advance its broadcast technologies you see during its ESPN broadcasts of sporting events, said she’d be open to an advisory role involving Auburn athletics.

“I love Auburn,” McKenna-Doyle said. “I hope the new AD, whoever he is, will put together a true strategic advisory board and I would love to serve and help.”