UCLA’s Young to Take Interim Florida Post

Charles E. Young, who became an institution at UCLA during his 29 years as chancellor, agreed Wednesday to take over the reins of the University of Florida as its interim president.

His official appointment is expected to come today, as the Board of Regents convenes a special meeting. Young, 67, is the only person nominated to run the university system’s premier campus, in Gainesville, for the year or so it will take to find a permanent president.

After two years of retirement, Young said, “it looked like fun” to take control of a university that reminds him of UCLA “20 or 30 years ago when it was beginning to make its mark.”

He agreed to accept the job, he said, after university officials convinced him “they wanted real leadership, not someone to mark time for six or nine months or however long it takes” to hire a permanent replacement.

Young will be taking over for President John Lombardi, a controversial leader who during his nine-year tenure oversaw the University of Florida’s rise in stature but who also had stormy relations with the systemwide office. Lombardi nearly lost his job last year for calling his boss, an African American, an “Oreo.”

As a rabid sports fan, Young will be taking over the campus at a time when the university’s Gators are undefeated in football, ranking third in the nation. UCLA’s Bruins, meanwhile, have struggled on the field with two losses and off the field with players snared in a handicapped parking scandal.

One of the first places Young visited during his campus tour Tuesday was the president’s box at the stadium known as the Swamp.

“I don’t think the Bruin blue will be dried up,” Young said of his shifting allegiance, “but I’m going to be involved as fully as I need to be in Florida’s athletics.”

Adam Herbert, chancellor of Florida’s 10-campus system, announced Wednesday that Young would be his lone nominee for the interim job. “He brings a national reputation for excellence,” Herbert said, “and an incredible depth of experience.”

Jon Moyle, a Florida regent, said he expected the 14-member board to quickly confirm Young’s nomination. “He knows the ins and out of a large public university,” Moyle said. “There will be very little discussion and he will be elected.”

As the largest campus of Florida’s system, the University of Florida rivals UCLA for size and complexity. It actually has more students, about 40,000 compared with UCLA’s 35,000.

“Chuck will go over really, really well in Gatorland,” said Charles B. Reed, chancellor of California State University. Reed, who ran Florida’s systemwide office before coming to California, was one of those who recommended Young for the job.

Young said his wife, Sue, who has been battling breast cancer, will spend about half of her time in Florida. “She is dramatically improved over what she was six months ago. I could not have considered this had she not been in good health.”

Once he begins Nov. 1, Young said, he will have to curtail the fund-raising he has continued to do for UCLA. But he said he will remain on the boards of UCLA’s art museum and the Geffen Playhouse.