The Ohio State Buckeyes athletics community got some major news on Wednesday morning when longtime athletic director Gene Smith announced that he will be retiring from his position effective June 30 of next year.
Gene Smith announced the major news on Wednesday during a press conference.
“I have always believed that a leader seeks to be the right person at the right time in the life of the institution,” Smith said to begin his press conference on Wednesday morning, according to ESPN. “I believe that July 2024 is the right time to welcome new leadership to build upon what we have achieved and continue to build upon the great tradition of excellence in athletics and business advancement at Ohio State.”
Smith has been in his position as the Ohio State athletic director for the past 18 years, helping lead arguably the largest and most successful athletic program in the entire country. His retirement is major news, and the sports world had plenty to say about it on social media as a result.
What a run for Gene Smith, who will have a 19-year tenure when he steps down. So far, Ohio State teams have won 32 team and 117 individual national championships during Smith’s tenure. https://t.co/aAaIKfqY4X
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 9, 2023
LET’S GOOOOOOO https://t.co/Azj3gQM0kK
— B1G_Ryan (@B1G_Ryan) August 9, 2023
Gene Smith, Athletic Director at The Ohio State University, will retire in July 2024. Thank you for all you've done 🫶
Smith has spent the past 18 years at Ohio State leading one of the largest and most successful and outstanding athletic programs in the country. pic.twitter.com/g5sLxrDxlc
— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) August 9, 2023
Gene Smith said his decision to retire was not based on the changes happening in college sports and that he wanted to set up a smooth transition for his successor. https://t.co/iKJMX0lUPH
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 9, 2023
Gene Smith was not just an impressive fundraiser at Ohio State (brought in almost $1 billion during his tenure), but groomed so many future ADs. Too many to even list here (Chun, Jarmond, Sabau, Lyke to name a few).
This is a mammoth job, everyone will want it.
— Anthony Lima (@SportsBoyTony) August 9, 2023
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith will retire from his position on June 30, 2024. Smith has served as OSU athletic director since 2005 as is considered one of the most influential voices in college sports.
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) August 9, 2023
This means that within the next year, Ohio State will be looking for both a new university president and athletic director, so some big changes are coming to Ohio State in the near future.
[ESPN]
