KNOXVILLE – Once a potential in-house candidate to become Tennessee’s athletic director, Jon Gilbert instead is leaving to run his own shop.
Gilbert, who served as Dave Hart’s right-hand man and was primarily involved with the men’s basketball program, was named the athletic director at Southern Mississippi on Tuesday after more than five years with Tennessee.
When Hart was hired at Tennessee in 2011, Gilbert and Mike Ward joined him from Alabama, where Gilbert spent 17 years.
“There are a lot of places that are great places to be an athletic director, but I really wanted to make sure that I was a cultural fit, and really more so that my family was,” Gilbert told reporters following his introduction. “I have a long history of knowledge of Southern Miss and its athletic programs.
“I was in the stands in 1989 when Southern Miss defeated Florida State. I was at Legion Field in 2000 when Jeff Bower’s team defeated the Crimson Tide. I saw what a passionate fan base it was. A lot of those things you can’t generate. There are schools that can’t generate the fan base, the excitement and the tradition we have, and that’s really what led me here.”
Gilbert’s departure is the latest change to Tennessee’s leadership.
The university confirmed the appointment of Cincinnati interim president Beverly Davenport as its new chancellor in December, and when she officially assumes her post next month, one of her first orders of business is finding a replacement for the outgoing Hart, whose retirement was announced in August.
Gilbert is the second member of Hart’s executive staff to leave since then. Chris Fuller, who spent 12 years at Tennessee in a variety of leadership roles in sales, marketing and external operations, took a position as the deputy athletic director for external operations at Syracuse in November.
There was the possibility of Ward joining Gilbert at Southern Miss, but he likely will remain at Tennessee.
During his tenure at Tennessee, Gilbert was heavily involved in the Vols’ hirings of men’s basketball coaches Rick Barnes and Donnie Tyndall, who was fired by Tennessee after just one season due to major NCAA violations, including academic fraud and misleading investigators, stemming from his time with the Golden Eagles.
NCAA sanctions against Southern Miss included postseason bans and the loss of scholarships, and the Golden Eagles are 23-54 since Tyndall’s departure after compiling a 56-17 record in his two seasons in Hattiesburg.
“There were conversations between the two schools when the issues arose,” Gilbert said. “We were in a different position at Tennessee than they were at Southern Miss. There was dialogue. I will tell you it was at a minimum at a very high level. Both institutions suffered from that. I’m hopeful we can all move on and continue the healing process that’s already begun.”
Barnes especially enjoyed working with Gilbert, who also graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C.
“We are going to miss him greatly at the University of Tennessee,” Barnes said in a released statement. “He has been a critical part of our basketball program over the past two years and brought valuable expertise and knowledge to our staff.
“Jon is very detailed, very specific in what he does and how he does it and possesses a tremendous understanding of what it takes to lead a successful athletics department. He’s positive and team-oriented, exactly what you want in an administrator and leader of your department. He has been mentored and guided by some of the best leaders in this business.
“I truly believe Southern Miss selected the perfect person to reach their goals, and I am extremely happy for Jon and his family.”
Tennessee on Friday announced it selected Turnkey Sports and Entertainment as the search firm for its athletic director search and also formed a six-member search committee including former Tennessee and NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and Pilot Flying J CEO and Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.
One of Turnkey’s consultants is former Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo, a longtime friend of Phillip Fulmer, the former Tennessee football coach who’s a strong candidate to replace Hart.
“The outpouring of interest in the new AD is just as I expected,” Davenport said. “This is the premier AD job in the country, and the passion of Big Orange Country is second to none. I appreciate all of the support and words of encouragement I have received.
“With Turnkey’s help, we will conduct a thorough, nationwide search that is open to all candidates to ensure we will yield the best candidates for the job.”
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.