An announcement of who will replace Harvard Athletic Director William J. Cleary ’56 is expected soon, possibly as early as next week, sources close to the search said.

Finalists for the position visited Cambridge last week, touring campus, meeting with University officials, and learning about the athletic department.

According to an article published Monday in the Boston Globe, the three finalists are Colgate University Athletic Director Mark Murphy, Vanderbilt University Senior Associate Athletic Director Brad Bates, and “dark horse” candidate Brian Hehir ’75, a vice chair of Merrill Lynch in New York.

However, internal sources say Harvard Senior Associate Director of Athletics Patricia Henry also remains as a possible candidate.

For now, the final decision remains for Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles and President Lawrence H. Summers.

The announcement is one of the most immediate decisions for Summers, since the athletic department had hoped a replacement would be in place on July 1.

The chair of the search committee, former athletic director John P. Reardon ’60 was on vacation this week and was unavailable for comment.

Cleary has been said to favor coaches with Division I experience, and Bates and Murphy both fit that bill.