Judging by Gerald O’Dell’s comments after his weekend visit to NIU, one can understand why football coach Jerry Pettibone nominated him for athletic director.

Despite witnessing a 27-21 setback to Akron and seeing only 5,405 people in the stands, O’Dell concentrated on the postive side, an area where Pettibone specializes.

O’Dell dropped into Huskieland Thursday night to spend a weekend looking into NIU athletics. After returning to Minneapolis Sunday, he said he had nothing but good feelings about his visit.

“I’m really concerned with this interim period,” said O’Dell, who officially will start at NIU Jan. 4. “There’s a lot of anxiety. It was really important that my time be productive. I feel better about the situation than when I was hired.”

O’Dell said he met with department heads and the ADs and assistant ADs Friday morning and Sunday afternoon. In those meetings, he said they discussed NIU’s athletic mission, his philosophy, the athletic budget and the promotion and marketing position. The athletic department has not had a promotion and marketing director since Chuck Shriver resigned in June.

A replacement for Shriver will wait until O’Dell comes aboard for good, he said. He said he wants someone who can work with the rest of the university and also knows how to work with print and broadcast media. But he said the job description has not been defined yet.

One item not decided was the administrative futures of men’s and women’s ADs Robert Brigham and Susie Pembroke-Jones and assistant ADs Jerry Ippoliti and Cary Groth. Brigham and Ippoliti said the subject never came up.

“It was just a getting-acquainted type of situation,” Brigham said. “We discussed things Gerald was interested in finding out. We were talking more department-wide items. That’s (men’s AD) the role I’m playing now, and until further notice, I’ll make that assumption (that he will remain in that position). I’m sure that’s the assumption in the whole department.”

Pembroke-Jones was unavailable for comment Monday.

O’Dell said he had breakfast with Pettibone Friday and with basketball coach Jim Rosborough Saturday. He also met with women’s basketball coach Jane Albright Saturday. Before the football game he attended a reception at NIU President John LaTourette’s house, where he met Elgin businessmen.

Pettibone said O’Dell asked him about his short- and long-term goals and how he views the football team. Pettibone also said they discussed ways the administration could help him. But job security for the future was not on the agenda, he said.

Albright also said the interview was informal, with goals as the main subject. She said she feels she will obtain as much support as she was given by Pembroke-Jones.

O’Dell said a bright spot at NIU was the tailgating area, which he said is unavailable at Minnesota. Plus he said higher attendance for Homecoming, Parent’s Day and Business-Agriculture night indicates identity with the university exists.