Nov. 14, 2002

WACO, Texas - Baylor University Thursday announced its seven-member committee that is overseeing the search for a new head football coach to replace Kevin Steele, who was dismissed Nov. 3.

Jim L. Turner, president and CEO of Dallas-based Dr Pepper/Seven Up Bottling Group Inc. and a member of the Baylor Board of Regents, will chair the search committee. Turner is a 1969 Baylor graduate and basketball letterman.

Others regents serving on the committee include: Drayton McLane Jr., chairman of the Houston Astros Baseball Club and Baylor board chair; Carl Bell, President and CEO of BellGroup Financial Corp.; and Walker Harman, President of Overton Investments and Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse. The committee also includes football lettermen Jay Allison, Chairman and CEO of Comstock Resources Inc. and a Baylor regent; John Eddie Williams, a Houston attorney, and Walter Abercrombie, director of education and special projects for the American Football Coaches Association.

"Over the last few days we have developed a profile for the next head football coach at Baylor University," Turner said. "We will find an experienced coach who shares our vision of building a winning program within the context of a faith-based institution. There's still a lot of work to be done, and I guarantee it will be a thorough, exhaustive process to bring the right coach to Baylor football."