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Wiedmer: UTC's Blackburn should be Vols' next athletic director
KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee on Thursday morning announced athletic director Dave Hart will retire from his position effective June 30, 2017.
Hart was hired to run the Volunteers' flailing athletic department in 2011, and his tumultuous tenure has been filled with controversy, an improvement in the department's financial standing and the turnaround of Tennessee's football program under Butch Jones, who Hart hired in December 2012.
In April 2013 Hart received a contract extension through 2018, but he will finish his time as the leader of Tennessee's athletic department sooner.
"As I thought about finishing this job well and how extremely proud I am of what everyone in our department has contributed collectively to get us to where we are today, I decided that this was a good time to set a target to wrap up my career as a Director of Athletics," Hart said in a statement.
"Our University will name a new Chancellor at some point prior to the conclusion of the academic year which has just begun. This decision will allow that individual to select his or her own person to this leadership role and allow me to lead us through what promises to be a very exciting upcoming year in many respects.
"The positive energy is tangible, not only in our building, but among Volunteer fans everywhere. That is very gratifying to witness."
Hart will address the media in a news conference scheduled for noon.
Tennessee is undergoing a change in leadership with chancellor Jimmy Cheek also announcing his decision to return to teaching earlier this year.
"Dave's greatest accomplishment is making UT a student-athlete-focused department," Cheeks said in a statement. "His drive for comprehensive excellence has touched all facets of athletics.
"Our student athletes have the highest overall grade point average in the history of the program, exceeding a 3.0 and fundraising is having a record year. He has restructured the department for greater efficiency and created a long-term sustainable financial model.
"Dave has worked with our coaches to make us nationally competitive. He has focused on compliance and doing things the right way in the class room and on the field. His work and determination have put UT sports in a strong position for the future."
Hart's tenure included the conclusion of the consolidation of Tennessee's separate men's and women's athletic department, and the department's reserve fund dipped below $2 million -- well below Tennessee's Southeastern Conference peers -- before improving due to record donations and record revenue distribution from the conference.
The branding issue with the Lady Vols made Hart a target of ongoing criticism after the department decided to use the 'Volunteers' nickname and 'Power T' logo with all the women's teams except for basketball.
Tennessee was also hit with two gender-discrimination lawsuits and the Title IX sexual assault lawsuit and settled the three civil suits for more than $4 million combined.
The feather in his cap, along with the financial upgrade, was the hiring of Jones, who's turned the Vols into a top-10 team heading into his fourth season, even though Tennessee was turned down publicly by at least two other coaches.
On the basketball front, the Lady Vols shifted from the legendary Pat Summitt to Holly Warlick, while Cuonzo Martin bailed for Cal after guiding Tennessee to a Sweet 16 and Donnie Tyndall was fired after one season due to major NCAA violations at his previous program. Hart replaced Tyndall with Rick Barnes.
"We will wrap up our three year fundraising campaign this fall which has enabled all of our facilities enhancements to come to fruition," Hart said. "There are other priorities to address as we progress through this year.
"My intent is to retire from the role as Athletics Director on June 30, not to retire in the purest sense of the word. There will be another challenge out there. I plan to continue to assist and inspire people in some manner moving forward. Right now, I am excited about what this year has in store for us on Rocky Top."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.