DALLAS (AP) — Rick Hart is stepping down after 13 years as athletic director at SMU, which in the past year completed its long-desired move into a power conference by becoming a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Hart said in a statement Friday, without elaborating, that it was “time for a new challenge” for him and a new voice to lead the Mustangs. He said he would continue to serve in his role until a new AD is on campus.
“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.
SMU, a private school near downtown Dallas, made the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in its first ACC season. The Mustangs also hired Andy Enfield last year as their new men's basketball coach after his previous stints at Southern California and Florida Gulf Coast.
Hart's departure comes at the same time that R. Gerald Turner is stepping down after 30 years as president of SMU. Turner announced his decision in August. Jay Hartzell will take over as SMU's leader on June 1 after serving as president of the University of Texas.
“During his 13 years at SMU, Rick has led our Department of Athletics with character, class, and integrity, and he has made this decision the same way,” Turner said. “With my upcoming transition to President Emeritus and the arrival of President-elect Jay Hartzell, Rick believes that now is a good time for both him and SMU to move forward. His decision allows President-elect Hartzell to select his own Director of Athletics who aligns with his vision for the post-antitrust settlement world of intercollegiate athletics.”
Hart became SMU's AD in July 2012 after six years in that same role at Tennessee-Chattanooga.
SMU has invested more than $250 million in athletic facilities since 2013, including renovating and updating Moody Coliseum and an end zone complex that opened during this past football season.
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