Blake James was not privy to many details of the NCAA investigation into Miami's athletic compliance practices until he became the Hurricanes' acting athletic director four months ago. Even after learning what the Hurricanes could be facing, he still wanted the job. And the school gave it to him on Friday, taking the "acting" tag off his title and formally making him the school's athletic director. He replaced Shawn Eichorst, who left in October for the same job at Nebraska. "It was an interview process that probably's been longer than most, but one that was a great experience and one that I valued tremendously," James said in an afternoon teleconference. "And obviously I look forward to moving this program forward. I think we have great days ahead, a great staff, great coaches and I'm looking forward to bringing us back to the top." The announcement of his hiring came shortly after a meeting of the university's board of trustees. "Blake James has proven that he has the experience, skills, leadership and especially the love for the university that we need in athletics," Miami president Donna Shalala said in a statement. Read more http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8929803/blake-james-hired-miami-athletic-director
