EXECUTIVE SEARCH SERVICES – INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

Texas Southern University is seeking qualified firms to provide executive search services for intercollegiate athletics positions, including Athletic Director and Head Coach roles, through a solicitation issued under number 717-26-748. The contract, set to be awarded based on a trade-off evaluation emphasizing technical merit over cost, prioritizes references and client feedback at 30%, followed by the firm’s experience in higher education athletic recruitment at 25%, and methodology for conducting national searches at 20%. Cost is considered but not weighted, allowing higher-priced proposals with superior technical qualifications to be selected. Proposals must include detailed client references from the past five years, a comprehensive description of organizational experience, and a clear, time-sensitive search methodology that includes diversity outreach, compensation benchmarking, background investigations, and position profiling, with a mandatory 12-month placement guarantee for successfully placed candidates. All submissions must be delivered in person or via courier to the TSU Purchasing Office in Hannah Hall, Suite 333, by May 7, 2026, at 1:00 PM Central Time, and must include one paper copy and one flash drive, with the flash drive serving as the official record. Proposals are required to be organized into clearly tabbed sections, excluding copyrighted material, and must adhere to specific disclosures, including any current or former TSU employees, familial relationships with agency personnel, prior felony convictions, legal actions that could impair performance, and compliance with Texas laws prohibiting participation in foreign talent programs or boycotts of Israel. Contractors must also maintain insurance coverage of at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, securely erase all hard drives per state regulations, retain records for seven years, and obtain prior written approval before using TSU’s branding. No contract options, minimum volume guarantees, or formal budget are specified, and the place of performance is tied to TSU’s Houston campus, with all inspections and acceptance conducted by university personnel.