JOHNSTON (AP) - University of Iowa President Sally Mason said Wednesday she's satisfied with steps taken by athletic officials to deal with a rash of discipline and legal problems by athletes.

Mason, hired as president last year, said she's watching the situation closely but thinks athletic director Gary Barta and football coach Kirk Ferentz have handled recent problems well.

"If I as president have to intervene in this, then I need a new athletic director," Mason said. "I feel very strongly that I have a very good person as athletic director, and I have a very good coach."

Most of the conduct issues surrounding the athletic department involve the football team.

Former Iowa wide receiver James Cleveland and backup quarterback Arvell Nelson were dismissed from the team in March after being arrested on drug charges. Wide receivers Anthony Bowman and Dominque Douglas are no longer on the team after both pleaded guilty to credit card fraud earlier this year. In addition, a number of players have been arrested on alcohol-related charges.

Mason said she approved of the discipline meted out by Barta and Ferentz.

"It's in their good hands for now," said Mason. "I watch it carefully and I will continue to watch it carefully. If I think for some reason there needs to be additional intervention, I certainly won't hesitate to do that, but not at this point."

Mason, speaking during a taping of Iowa Public Television's "Iowa Press" program, defended the actions taken so far.

"This coach really takes this very seriously. Not every coach would take action as swiftly, as carefully, as sensitively as coach Ferentz has done with these young men this year," Mason said.

She spelled out a series of steps that have been taken and said "some of the changes we made in mentoring these young men will have a positive effect and that we can mitigate or eliminate these kind of behavior problems in the future."

She said university officials make it clear to athletes that they have a responsibility to the school and will be high profiles members of the community.

"We tell these young men it's a privilege to play Division I athletics at a place like the University of Iowa, but you have to understand that you are in a fishbowl," said Mason. "People are going to pay close attention to your behavior, you've got to set a tone, be a role model, be a leader. When the young men don't live up to that, there's no one more disappointed than the coach, the athletic director and myself."

Mason came to Iowa from Purdue University, where she was provost. She previously was an administrator at the University of Kansas.

She said the athletic department's problems have prompted many offers of assistance.

"A lot of individuals who have been associated with Hawkeye football over the years have stepped forward and said we want to help with this," said Mason.

She said that group included former athletes and others involved in the sports program.

Mason said only time will tell if officials are effectively dealing with the situation. And she conceded that dealing with athletes can be challenging.

"You have young people who all of their lives are told they are something special, they've been treated in a very special way," said Mason. "They get to college and they see the environment there is quite different from the environment they were raised in."

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Associated Press sports writer Luke Meredith contributed to this report.