MINOT — I may be getting ahead of myself, because North Dakota State University President David Cook is only a finalist for a position in his home state of Iowa, but the writing seems to be on the wall, and it needs to be said.

When it comes to replacing Cook, higher education leaders should focus on promoting from within.

Cook wouldn’t be applying for other jobs if he wanted to stay at NDSU, and that’s too bad, though it’s hard to begrudge a person their desire to go home.

Cook has done a solid job at NDSU since taking over the position in May of 2022. His predecessor, Dean Bresciani, was football-obsessed, at the expense of the school’s academic mission, and fostered a searingly belligerent relationship with state lawmakers.

At one point, early on in Bresciani’s tenure, he ruffled fe

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