Apparently it’s not cheap to hire an athletic director at the University of Illinois. The U of I is expecting to pay close to $200,000 for the search that concluded more than a month ago. The Champaign News Gazette reported the figures Monday. The University spent $11,000 to hold offsite interviews in Indianapolis. But a search firm, Korn Ferry Executive Search will bring in the most money – they are being paid a flat fee of $140,000 and on top of that will receive expenses. The U of I wound up hiring a former Illini football player and alum Josh Whitman.