Supporters of Kansas State University Provost Duane Nellis arranged for former U.S. Sen. Steve Symms, who played football for the Vandals in the late 1950s, to raise the issue with Gov. Butch Otter in a meeting last week.

Lt. Gov. Brad Little, many legislators and State Board of Education President Milford Terrell have been getting their share of pressure, too, to find more money for Nellis, who has attracted support for his experience at a land grant school and his Northwest connections.

But he turned down the offer because the salary was too low.

"There's a problem when the guy wants the job and the board wants to hire him and pay is the issue," Symms told the Idaho Statesman.

Otter is listening. "The governor has been in communication with the (State Board) relative to these issues," spokesman Jon Hanian wrote in an e-mail Wednesday. "The governor is still gathering information and beyond that isn't commenting about the prospects of any specific candidate."

U of I faithful consider a new president vital to the 120-year-old school's future. Since President Bob Hoover quit suddenly over a financial scandal in 2003, the U of I has had four temporary or permanent presidents. The longest-serving was Tim White, who resigned in June to take a job at University of California-Riverside.

"The University of Idaho people are on edge because there's been a lot of topsy-turvy," said Robie Russell, an alum who practices law in Seattle. "I think people are concerned because this process seems to have gone awry. All of a sudden people are bailing. What the heck's going on?"

Of five finalists, three have withdrawn. Last week, Montana State University Provost David Dooley cited differences with the State Board over the "role, scope, and future" of the U of I.

In February, Ham Shirvani, president of California State University Stanislaus, withdrew. Shirvani told the Statesman there were two factors: strong support at home and money.

"If you want to move from one place to another, you've got to have something to make it worth your while," Shirvani said Tuesday. "Forgive me for being so blunt."

Shirvani makes $320,000 and said the U of I job was to pay in the "early 300s." When he learned that was not negotiable, Shirvani said, he withdrew.

Nellis did not reply to requests for an interview. But when he withdrew last month, he said he was seeking less than the $370,000 he and his wife, Ruthie, make at Kansas State. Nellis makes $272,000, his wife $98,000. "I was not being unreasonable, in my opinion," Nellis said.

The 16 people on the presidential search committee have been asked not to speak to reporters. But U of I student body President Garrett Holbrook said Wednesday, "We need a president and we needed one last month."

Pay is the sticking point, Holbrook said, adding that he's heard through the grapevine Nellis would agree to about $350,000.

"We have to put up if we want a president capable of moving us forward," Holbrook said. "The notion that we're going to get one for a bargain is a little ridiculous."

If the board can't strike a deal with Nellis, Holbrook said, interim President Steven Daley-Laursen should get the nod. "We have someone who's doing a fantastic job and who people respect."

Daley-Laursen, who agreed not to seek the full-time post when he applied for the interim job, declined comment Wednesday.

State Board President Terrell said Wednesday, "We're in negotiations and I can't talk about any of this."

Some U of I backers distrust Terrell because he's a past president of Boise State's Athletic Association.

"They enter into negotiations with Mr. Terrell and, suddenly, they're not interested. It causes you to wonder what's going on," said Howard Foley, a former National Vandal Booster of the Year and a lawyer in Meridian.

Terrell would not comment on that charge. But board spokesman Mark Browning said Terrell is being wrongly maligned. "This guy has worked harder and longer to find the best president than anybody could possibly imagine," he said.

Members of the Vandal Boosters, also known as the Vandal Scholarship Fund, have been leading the campaign for Nellis.

Lee Shellman, who played football with Symms, has helped organize e-mail and phone campaigns over the past four weeks. "Our booster group is firmly behind us," said Shelman, a physical therapist in Coeur d'Alene. "They've gotten the Vandals aroused."

Nellis' backers cite his experience as the No. 2 at a land-grant institution, his roots in the Northwest, and an academic record that includes a Ph.D. from Oregon State in geography and research analyzing the Earth's land surface, which has drawn more than $3 million in grants.

Boosters are exploring raising private funds to supplement presidential pay, a practice common in some states and used to lure coaches in Idaho. That would require a change in state policy, which Symms said he urged Otter to make .

Shellman notes that the U of I has already spent $165,000 on the search. "We are still wooing this guy. We don't want to see another $165,000 spent. Dr. Nellis loves the University of Idaho and is fully qualified."

Dan Popkey: 377-6438