Defending the Bowl Championship Series and trying to convince critics that it is the best way to determine a college football champion has to qualify as one of the toughest jobs in America. Bill Hancock now has that job.

Hancock, the former director of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, was selected Tuesday to become the first executive director of the BCS.He has been the BCS administrator since 2005, often acting as a spokesman for the

conference commissioners.Hancock will still be working for those decision-makers, but starting next year he will be the public face of the BCS and the top advocate for their choices.

“My feeling is that I can help people understand it,” he said in a telephone interview. “A lot of the frustration with the BCS is because people don’t understand it.”

“The fact is a playoff would be as contentious or more contentious than what we have now.”

“A playoff is just not right for college football.”

The executive director position will replace the BCS coordinator.

• Ralph D. Russo