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SMU athletic director Rick Hart will step down from his position near the end of the current academic year, the university announced Friday. He will continue to serve as athletic director until SMU can identify a replacement.
“It is with tremendous pride, heartfelt love, and yes, mixed emotions, that I share I have made the decision that this academic year will be my last at SMU,” Hart said in a statement. “After the honor of leading the Department of Athletics for thirteen years, it is time for a new challenge for me and for a new voice to lead the Mustangs, allowing President-Elect Hartzell to move forward with his own vision and leader as SMU moves forward in this new landscape of collegiate athletics.”
Hart was hired as SMU’s athletic director in 2012 after six years in the same capacity at UT-Chattanooga. He also served in various administrative capacities at Oklahoma, North Carolina and East Carolina.
The decision comes not long after SMU announced that Jay Hartzell, who currently serves as University of Texas president, will begin his tenure in the same role for SMU on June 1, 2025. The SMU Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of Hartzell, who has been Texas’ full-time president since Sept. 2020.
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Hart oversaw athletic resurgence
SMU, with the help of its deep cadre of boosters, made plenty of significant moves under Hart. In September 2023, SMU announced that it would transition to…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/smu-ad-rick-hart-stepping-down-mustangs-rise-back-to-college-football-prominence-among-highlights-of-tenure/
Author : Will Backus
Publish date : 2025-02-07 17:49:00
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