Seton Hall University named former provost A. Gabriel Esteban as its 20th president today, abandoning its search for a priest to lead the state’s largest Catholic school.
Esteban, 49, was appointed the school’s interim president last summer when two priests selected as finalists for the job dropped out of the running.
"I feel just very humbled, privileged and blessed all at the same time," Esteban said this morning as he waited in his office on the South Orange campus for his appointment to be finalized.
Seton Hall’s Board of Regents offered Esteban a 5½ year contract, campus officials said. The university did not disclose the new president’s salary, but Esteban said his pay is comparable to other presidents in the Big East.