While the university launches a national search to replace outgoing Athletics Director Debbie Yow, it has turned to the department’s chief financial officer to oversee the Terps on an interim basis.

Randy Eaton, 49, was named to the post Monday and will officially take over the 27-sport department after Yow’s departure July 9.

With an official decision on a new athletics director expected in the coming months, Eaton said his priorities are simple.

“For lack of better terminology, just not to wreck the ship,” Eaton said. “We’ve been left in a good situation by Debbie.”

Eaton, who has served as senior associate athletics director since 2008, began working for the Terps in 2003 as the university’s athletics business director. He is responsible for managing the department’s business office and is well regarded by university officials for his candid nature.

“We are indeed fortunate to have Randy here to take the athletics’ reins during this transition to a permanent athletic director appointment,” university President Dan Mote said in a press release.

With the department’s $55 million budget for the coming fiscal year already completed and no major personnel decisions remaining, Eaton likely won’t be called upon to make any of the decisions that shaped Yow’s legacy during her 16 years in College Park.

A 17-person search committee for her replacement was formed Tuesday, and University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan told The Washington Post on Tuesday he expects the search for a full-time athletics director to take three to four months.

“The search committee is just now being put together, so it takes some period of time for it to get cranked up,” Kirwan told the paper.

Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement will chair the committee, which includes men’s basketball coach Gary Williams, women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese, men’s soccer coach Sasho Cirovski and field hockey coach Missy Meharg. Terp alumni Len Elmore, who serves as the iHoops CEO and a college basketball analyst for ESPN and CBS, and Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank are also committee members.

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