Memphis' search for a new athletic director narrowed this week as several candidates emerged as top options, multiple sources with knowledge of the process told The Commercial Appeal.

University president Bill Hardgrave is also believed to be targeting the end of next week for a formal announcement by the school, sources said. The sources requested anonymity because details of the search have not been made public.

Deputy athletic director and interim AD Jeff Crane, Tennessee deputy AD Ryan Alpert, Buffalo AD Mark Alnutt and Kansas State Alumni Association president, and CEO Adam Walker have emerged as the most serious contenders for the job, sources said.

This comes after a round of interviews this week that also included Clemson deputy AD Kevin White, Virginia deputy AD Ed Scott and Austin Peay AD Gerald Harrison. Sources added there may have been others who interviewed this week as well.

Crane, whose interview took place Tuesday, according to sources, has been considered a frontrunner since the process began when AD Laird Veatch left for Missouri in April. Crane came to Memphis in April 2019 and has been instrumental in the large-scale Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium renovation project. He has been consistently open about his desire to be named the permanent AD.

"Of course, I would love to be the athletics director here. That would be a dream opportunity," he said recently. "The university will make some decisions in time, those things are all out of my control. But certainly have a lot of interest in it. And thankful for this opportunity.”

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Alpert, Alnutt and Walker also have ties to Memphis, each having previously worked for the university. Alpert spent four-plus years at Memphis, holding a variety of titles including assistant athletic director for development. Alnutt spent two-plus years as deputy AD before leaving for Buffalo in April 2018. Walker was at Memphis from 2010-23, when he was the school's executive associate athletic director for administration.

Hardgrave is working in concert with Parker Executive Search and a separate six-person advisory committee to complete the process.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis athletic director search: Leading candidates, timeline