TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida State University trustees are hiring a Washington, D.C. firm to help it with a search for a new president.

Trustees agreed unanimously to go with Academic Search Consultation Service, a company the school has worked with before in helping find deans for the medical and business colleges. The company was paid a $75,000 retainer.

Florida State President T.K. Wetherell announced his plans to resign last month. Wetherell said he'd stay on until a replacement was found.

The new president will be coming in at a time when the school is embroiled in a long-standing dispute with the NCAA over an academic
cheating issue and football coach Bobby Bowden approaching his 80th
birthday and the end of his distinguished career.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)