USOC chairman: 'I'm not going to resign'

The chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee won’t resign, despite a turbulent first year in office, heavy criticism from amateur sports leaders and the chance of a scathing review from an independent committee that’s evaluating the USOC’s much-questioned board.

Electronic Arts chairman Larry Probst vowed Monday to serve the final three years of his term in the unpaid job he claimed from Peter Ueberroth last October, sounding confident after the nine-person USOC board held a six-hour meeting in San Francisco.

“I’m not going to resign,” Probst said on a teleconference with reporters. “I have engaged about 110 percent over the last few months, and I’m going to do what it takes to get the USOC on track, get us positioned in the international community the way that we should be, clear away some issues that need to be addressed. … I’m not going anywhere.”

Probst, 59, has taken most of the blame for what acting chief executive officer Stephanie Streeter tabbed “a bit of a rollercoaster” – Olympic national governing body heads would probably liken the ride to a runaway train – since she replaced Jim Scherr in March.

Olympic NGB leaders called for Probst’s resignation in October, citing an Association of Chief Executives for Sport survey with a 38-4 vote of “no” on a question asking if Probst is “handling his job” correctly. A 14-person committee led by former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue will make recommendations to the USOC board as early as March.

USOC board member Mike Plant defended Probst, stressing his willingness to meet with multiple constituencies, including outspoken NGB leaders Skip Gilbert and Steve Penny.

“He has really made a huge effort to include them in the reform process,” Plant said. “He stepped up and did what he said he was going to do.”

Other highlights from Monday’s board meeting:

• The USOC set a Jan. 1 deadline for hiring a new CEO, a search featuring six finalists, most notably Sandy Alderson, the former San Diego Padres CEO; Norm Bellingham, the USOC’s chief operating officer; and Scott Blackmun, the USOC’s former acting CEO. The latest finalist is TD Ameritrade chairman Joe Moglia, The Associated Press reported.

• A USOC audit committee reviewed the 2010 budget, with funding increases for NGBs and athletes in summer sports, USOC chief of sport performance Mike English said. The USOC’s management team also has seen the budget, but Streeter declined to give figures.

• A change in the USOC Foundation’s bylaws created a board of directors and a board of trustees. The trustees primarily will be responsible for fundraising, Streeter said.

• The USOC tabled a 15-year strategic plan until Streeter’s successor is hired. It also put on hold discussions about a revised revenue-sharing deal with the International Olympic Committee, the launch of a cable TV network, future bids for the Olympics and a strategy for improving international relations.