TAC Committee Recommends Contract Extension for Cassell

The executive committee of The Athletics Congress, the national governing body for track and field, voted Saturday to recommend a two-year contract extension for executive director Ollan Cassell.

TAC President Frank Greenberg of Philadelphia said that he had been instructed by the executive committee not to reveal the results of the vote, which came after 2 1/2 hours of discussion during a meeting at Denver.

The executive committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to TAC’s board of directors, which is expected to decide during a December meeting at Louisville, Ky., whether Cassell will remain in the job that he has held since the organization was established in 1978. His current three-year contract expires in March.

Cassell has been blamed for failing to successfully promote the sport in the United States as it has suffered from declining interest among participants, spectators and sponsors.

Critics argue that the sport needs new leadership so that it can capitalize on the increased exposure it is expected to receive before the 1996 Summer Olympics at Atlanta. Supporters contend that he cannot be fairly evaluated until he has had more time to work within the organization after its recent restructuring.