The man who has helped guide SMU athletics back to major conference standing is leaving the school after a little more than a dozen years at the helm. Longtime athletic director Rick Hart announced Friday that he is stepping down. Hart said he will stay on until his replacement is hired, but he expects to be gone by the end of the academic year in June.
It was just this last August that school president Gerald Turner announced he was leaving SMU. Last month, Jay Hatzell left the University of Texas-Austin to replace Turner as president of SMU. Hartzell will now be in charge of leading the search for SMU’s new athletic director.
SMU Long-Time Athletic Director Will Step Down
Rising From the Ashes
Hart was hired to run SMU athletics in the Summer of 2012. He went to the Dallas campus after six years as athletic director at Tennessee-Chattanooga. While several SMU sports have grown during those 12 years, notably the men’s basketball program, the biggest upgrade comes for the football program.
The Mustangs got the NCAA death penalty in 1987 for repeated rules infractions and financial misdeeds. The program was out of business until 1989. But for decades SMU languished in its efforts to compete at a major level again. The school’s home conference, the Southwest Conference broke apart in 1991, and the Mustangs were left to play in smaller conferences for the next 30-plus years.
Hart oversaw SMU’s transition to the ACC, with the primary benefit being for the football program. The school’s efforts to be back at the major conference level were so significant that the SMU administration agreed to join the ACC while taking none of the conference’s TV revenue for nine years. The potential gap was estimated to be around $300 million over that period. Within seven days of Hart’s historic announcement, he had commitments from donors equaling $100 million. Within a month he had secured the entire $300 million.
Immediate Success in the ACC
The Mustangs went through their maiden year in the ACC with one out-of-conference loss before losing to Clemson in the conference championship game. SMU made the initial 12-team college football playoff, losing to Penn State in the first round. While SMU will not be getting any of the conference’s TV revenue, there will still be financial payouts from making the conference championship game and the post-season.
Hart also facilitated the fundraising that led to a major stadium renovation at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The stadium is now fully enclosed with suites in what had been a grass seating area. It is estimated that the school’s athletic department spent $1 billion on facilities upgrades during Hart’s term.
In a statement issued by the school and released on X, Hart said, “It is with tremendous pride, heartfelt love, and yes, mixed emotions, that I share with you that I have made the decision that this academic year will be my last at SMU. 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.” He added, “When I interviewed for this job, President Turner shared that he wished for a nationally competitive athletics program on par with the quality of the university. Mission accomplished!”
While Hart said it was a time for new challenges for him and his family, he did not indicate future job plans. His youngest child, Carly, graduates from SMU this Summer as he leaves his job.
Main Image: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
