Washington State may or may not get Bill Moos to be its new athletic director, but perhaps the school's public courtship will start a trend that will lead away from the hush-hush secrecy that typically surrounds such searches.

Or not.

In any event, university president Elson S. Floyd released a statement Thursday night saying -- without qualification -- that the post has been offered to Moos, a former Cougar and longtime Oregon athletic director.

“Bill Moos and I talked this afternoon, and I formally offered him the position of athletics director at Washington State University," Floyd said in the statement. “The support for Bill has been overwhelming. After hearing from WSU coaches, senior athletic department leaders, alumni, donors, and fans, I extended the offer to Bill. He is considering the offer we made him and will provide us with his decision by the middle of this coming week. I am optimistic we will be able to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.”

It appears Moos wants the job, too. The only holdup is his buyout and non-compete deal with Oregon. Moos and his lawyers are reportedly trying to work things out with Oregon.

For more details, see here.