Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith announced at a news conference this morning that he will retire from his position next year, and will be effective June 30, 2024. He is the longest tenured athletic director in the Big Ten, and started in 2005, replacing Andy Geiger. 

Under Smith’s leadership, the Ohio State athletics department has thrived, winning myriad conference and national, individual and team, athletic championships and awards. In 2015, Forbes recognized the Ohio State Athletics Department as one of the ten best organizations to work for in sports.

Gene Smith also served on the College Football Playoff Committee in January 2017, and served a three year term. In October of that same year, Smith also began working with the Commission On College Basketball, which examined the relationships between the NCAA, its member institutions, coaches and student athletes with apparel companies, non-scholastic basketball organizations and agents or advisors.

He was a pillar of leadership in the Big Ten and highly regarded by his peers.

A search for Smith’s successor will begin when the university hires a new president to replace Kristina Johnson, who stepped down in May 2023

Photo Credit: Colin Haas-Hill