SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Disaffected donor Ken Kendrick, before discussing his athletic department concerns in a meeting with West Virginia President Mike Garrison, gave his alma mater a gift of $1 million toward academic scholarships -- the same amount the university spent on unsold Fiesta Bowl tickets.

Kendrick, who, along with fellow benefactor Bob Reynolds, withdrew a combined $12 million in pledges two weeks ago, met with R. Wayne King, president of the WVU Foundation, over the weekend and handed him a $1,012,500 check that essentially reimburses the university for the roughly 7,500 tickets that remained from the school's 17,500 allotment.

Those unsold tickets were doled out to charities through the Fiesta Bowl, which seeks to sell out the game tonight that matches No. 11 West Virginia (10-2) and No. 3 Oklahoma (11-2) inside University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

"I'm delighted to help the university and always am," Kendrick, a Princeton, W.Va., native and part owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, said yesterday. He added that, as a resident, he wanted to make a gesture toward Mountaineers fans coming to this region after so many lost money on travel packages to New Orleans for a national-championship game that West Virginia didn't reach.

"My donation is partly built around the Phoenix community and that ... the university doesn't suffer as much as it would have if it hadn't gotten this gift."

In an impromptu news conference at the Camelback Inn yesterday morning, Garrison added, "Were very pleased that Ken was interested in making a donation toward non-athletic scholarships."

This donation does not change Kendrick's issues with the athletic department, primarily the stewardship of athletic director Ed Pastilong and assistant athletic director Mike Parsons. He reiterated to Garrison his views at a university function New Year's Eve -- a meeting at Garrison's request and unrelated to the donation, he said.

"I at least looked him in the eye and said to him directly things I've said to others," Kendrick said. "There are problems in the athletic department that need to be corrected, leadership problems. Now the ball's in his court. I hope he'll do something to correct what I think is a pretty severe problem with the university, incompetent leadership."

Garrison called it "a very productive meeting. Talked about a number of things outside of athletics, believe it or not. I've said this before: Ken and I have a lot more that we agree upon than we disagree upon. ... I think that's the essence of a university: that we have different opinions, different comments, and that we don't just shut the doors. I take all that as constructive opinion. And we're pleased that Ken continues to support the broader university."

Garrison addressed some football matters:

• The ongoing search for a replacement for new Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez "continues to be active, even though we're out here." They don't want it to be a distraction to the team, though.

• Interim head coach Bill Stewart, who has not been interviewed though Garrison declined to specify that, is not auditioning for the job, the president said. "I think Coach is taking on a responsibility that he has been asked to take on. I cannot think of a better individual to take it on. He's done a wonderful job. We're not going to talk about individuals who will or will not be interviewed. But coach Stewart is a very viable candidate. He's doing a wonderful job."

• He refused to say when an unspecified search-consulting firm was hired by West Virginia, though it apparently happened within the past week. He added that Mountaineers administrators via a consultant would like to hire a new coach "very quickly. More than anything we want to make sure we've done it the right way and that we've surveyed all national interests, in addition to some names that have been mentioned already. ..."

The hiring of a consultant, at the recommendation of Kendrick among others, means West Virginia officials have tossed out two of their three rules when they started the search Dec. 16: They preferred not to deal with agents or lawyers, they did not want to use a consulting firm, and they had salary parameters between $1 million and $1.5 million annually.

They interviewed Florida assistant head coach Doc Holliday, ABC/ESPN announcer Terry Bowden, Florida State assistant head coach Rick Trickett and Central Michigan head coach Butch Jones. They also negotiated with Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher until changes in proposed contract terms caused Fisher to remain as Bobby Bowden's coach-in-waiting.

In other search news, the name of Alabama coach Nick Saban has been raised in the search for Rodriguez's successor. Saban, a Marion County native the same as Rodriguez and Gov. Joe Manchin, is a candidate whom sources said stirs the interest of the governor, who has taken an active role in the search. Saban and Manchin also are longtime friends.

Saban, however, makes more than double -- at $4 million -- the donor-funded salary given to Rodriguez, and West Virginia has discussed a $1.3 million salary with some candidates. Alabama hired Saban, a Mountaineers assistant in 1978-79, barely one year ago after Rodriguez decided to stay at his alma mater because of the intervention of a group of donors.