Head hockey coach Mike Kemp said Friday that he has withdrawn from consideration for the athletic director's position at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

"In my conversations with Chancellor John Christensen, I've determined that it isn't possible to be the coach and the athletic director at the same time. He has offered me the option of continuing in the hiring process, however I feel that it wouldn't be fair to the players in our program for me to do that at this time, Kemp said.

Kemp has been the only head coach the Maverick hockey program has had in its 10 seasons of play in NCAA Division I. He has led the team to a 162-187-45 record and guided the team to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2006.

"I entered into this process with the thought of doing whatever I could to improve the quality and stability of the athletic program. I will still do that in support of whoever will be the new athletic director, " he said.

"My heart is where it needs to be," he added. "As the coach of Maverick hockey. I need to follow my heart."


Christensen said "there are a lot of people in this community who advocated Mike for the athletic director position and also a significant number who wanted him to remain as the coach.

"I admire and respect him for making a most difficult decision and to honor his commitment to the student-athletes. That's why he's a great coach," he said. "Mike was a very viable candidate to be our next athletic director and I want to look for ways to use him in a capacity that will support the whole department."

John Langan, the chairman of the search committee, said "My hat's off to Mike for making a tough decision. It's a classic example of putting the student-athletes first."