Brett Ludwiczak
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Sunday marks the end of Gene Smith’s tenure as Ohio State’s athletic director
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Smith has been one of the most influential figures in college athletics administration during his time at Ohio State.
Sunday marks the final day of Gene Smith’s tenure as Ohio State’s athletic director, wrapping up a career spanning almost 40 years as a Division I athletics director, with the last 19 coming in Columbus at Ohio State. During his time at Ohio State, Smith has strengthened the Buckeye athletic department as one of the best in the country, while also helping student-athletes be prepared for life after college.
Smith was born in Cleveland before attending college at Notre Dame, where he was a part of the Fighting Irish football team from 1973 to 1976. Not only was Smith a part of Notre Dame’s national championship team in 1973, in 1977 he was an assistant football coach under head coach Dan Devine, and in Smith’s first year of the coaching staff the Fighting Irish won another national title. Smith was an assistant at Notre Dame until 1981.
After moving on from Notre Dame, Smith’s next stop in college athletics was at Eastern Michigan, where he was named assistant athletics director in 1983 before being promoted to the school’s athletics director in 1986, a position he would hold until 1993 when he moved on to take the same role at Iowa State.
During his time in Ames with the Cyclones, Smith would become the first Black president of the National Association of College Directors of Athletics. Smith would lead Iowa State until 2000 when he moved on to Arizona State.
On March 5, 2005, Smith would become Ohio State’s eighth athletic director, taking over for Andy Geiger. Even though Smith was new to Ohio State, he had already built a strong reputation among his peers, and was a member of the NCAA Division I Basketball Committee from 2006 to 2011, serving as chairman of the committee for the 2010-11 season.
The Ohio State athletic director was also a part of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee from 2017 to 2019.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25511719/1420645347.jpg "Notre Dame v Ohio State")
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Ohio State’s first national championship under Smith was won by the rowing team in 2008. By the end of Smith’s time as athletic director, Ohio State won 13 NCAA team national titles, 35 total team national championships, and 122 individual event national titles. No national championship was bigger than the college football national championship the Buckeyes won in 2014, which gave Smith national titles in college football as a player, coach, and athletic director.
Along with their national success, the Buckeyes have also been a force in the Big Ten under Smith, winning 117 team Big Ten championships and 384 individual event Big Ten titles.
As well as Ohio State’s achievements on the field, Smith has also been instrumental at helping Buckeyes be ready for life after their playing careers are over. Smith’s biggest contribution has been by creating the Eugene D. Smith Leadership Institute, which provides leadership, character, and career development to best prepare Ohio State student-athletes for life after graduation. Recently Ohio State posted a record-high APR score of 993, with 17 programs posting perfect scores.
With his tireless work to expand Ohio State’s brand and influence, along with the tremendous work of the student-athletes both in and out of the classroom, it’s no surprise Smith has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards and honors over the years. In 2007, Smith became a NACDA Hall of Fame member as part of their inaugural Legends Class of Minority Athletics Administrators.
Three years later, Sports Business Journal named Smith Athletic Director of the Year. Smith’s biggest honor came in 2016 when he was named the 50th James J. Corbett Memorial Award recipient, which is the highest honor in college athletics administration.
Not that there haven’t been controversial moments during Smith’s time at Ohio State. The biggest mess for Smith to clean up came during the “Tatgate” scandal, which led to the resignation of head coach Jim Tressel and the school self-imposing a bowl ban for the 2012, which was a season that would see the Buckeyes go 12-0 in Urban Meyer’s first season as head coach.
Then there was the fallout from the Zach Smith scandal, which resulted in the suspension of Meyer for the first three games of the 2017 season, which would end up being Meyer’s final season as the team’s football coach.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25511722/1068458150.jpg "Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer Press Conference")
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Even during the toughest moments, Smith handled himself like a true professional. There is no doubt Smith’s legacy for the work he has done at Ohio State will extend years beyond his retirement. While Ohio State hired a huge name in Ross Bjork to replace Smith as athletic director, it will be impossible for Bjork to live up to the impact Smith had during his nearly two decades on the job in Columbus.
Thanks for all your hard work over the years, Gene. Wishing you nothing but the best during your retirement!
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Smith has been one of the most influential figures in college athletics administration during his time at Ohio State.
Sunday marks the final day of Gene Smith’s tenure as Ohio State’s athletic director, wrapping up a career spanning almost 40 years as a Division I athletics director, with the last 19 coming in Columbus at Ohio State. During his time at Ohio State, Smith has strengthened the Buckeye athletic department as one of the best in the country, while also helping student-athletes be prepared for life after college.
Smith was born in Cleveland before attending college at Notre Dame, where he was a part of the Fighting Irish football team from 1973 to 1976. Not only was Smith a part of Notre Dame’s national championship team in 1973, in 1977 he was an assistant football coach under head coach Dan Devine, and in Smith’s first year of the coaching staff the Fighting Irish won another national title. Smith was an assistant at Notre Dame until 1981.
After moving on from Notre Dame, Smith’s next stop in college athletics was at Eastern Michigan, where he was named assistant athletics director in 1983 before being promoted to the school’s athletics director in 1986, a position he would hold until 1993 when he moved on to take the same role at Iowa State.
During his time in Ames with the Cyclones, Smith would become the first Black president of the National Association of College Directors of Athletics. Smith would lead Iowa State until 2000 when he moved on to Arizona State.
On March 5, 2005, Smith would become Ohio State’s eighth athletic director, taking over for Andy Geiger. Even though Smith was new to Ohio State, he had already built a strong reputation among his peers, and was a member of the NCAA Division I Basketball Committee from 2006 to 2011, serving as chairman of the committee for the 2010-11 season.
The Ohio State athletic director was also a part of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee from 2017 to 2019.
Ohio State’s first national championship under Smith was won by the rowing team in 2008. By the end of Smith’s time as athletic director, Ohio State won 13 NCAA team national titles, 35 total team national championships, and 122 individual event national titles. No national championship was bigger than the college football national championship the Buckeyes won in 2014, which gave Smith national titles in college football as a player, coach, and athletic director.
Along with their national success, the Buckeyes have also been a force in the Big Ten under Smith, winning 117 team Big Ten championships and 384 individual event Big Ten titles.
As well as Ohio State’s achievements on the field, Smith has also been instrumental at helping Buckeyes be ready for life after their playing careers are over. Smith’s biggest contribution has been by creating the Eugene D. Smith Leadership Institute, which provides leadership, character, and career development to best prepare Ohio State student-athletes for life after graduation. Recently Ohio State posted a record-high APR score of 993, with 17 programs posting perfect scores.
With his tireless work to expand Ohio State’s brand and influence, along with the tremendous work of the student-athletes both in and out of the classroom, it’s no surprise Smith has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards and honors over the years. In 2007, Smith became a NACDA Hall of Fame member as part of their inaugural Legends Class of Minority Athletics Administrators.
Three years later, Sports Business Journal named Smith Athletic Director of the Year. Smith’s biggest honor came in 2016 when he was named the 50th James J. Corbett Memorial Award recipient, which is the highest honor in college athletics administration.
Not that there haven’t been controversial moments during Smith’s time at Ohio State. The biggest mess for Smith to clean up came during the “Tatgate” scandal, which led to the resignation of head coach Jim Tressel and the school self-imposing a bowl ban for the 2012, which was a season that would see the Buckeyes go 12-0 in Urban Meyer’s first season as head coach.
Then there was the fallout from the Zach Smith scandal, which resulted in the suspension of Meyer for the first three games of the 2017 season, which would end up being Meyer’s final season as the team’s football coach.
Even during the toughest moments, Smith handled himself like a true professional. There is no doubt Smith’s legacy for the work he has done at Ohio State will extend years beyond his retirement. While Ohio State hired a huge name in Ross Bjork to replace Smith as athletic director, it will be impossible for Bjork to live up to the impact Smith had during his nearly two decades on the job in Columbus.
Thanks for all your hard work over the years, Gene. Wishing you nothing but the best during your retirement!
Continue reading...