Another tragic news hit the Buckeyes as another highly commited prospect announce an emergency retirement because of…..
During a press conference held on Wednesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Gene Smith, the athletic director of the Ohio State Buckeyes, declared his retirement.
With effect from June 30, 2024, Smith will be retiring. Since March 5, 2005, Ohio State’s athletic director has been Smith, the eighth athletic director for the Buckeyes.
“It’s been a pleasure every single day and an honor to wake up and and come to work and try and create an environment for our student athletes to be successful,” said Smith. “It’s been my aspiration every single day to work for them.”
Smith stated that his retirement was not influenced by the way college football is evolving.
According to Smith, “I’ve always welcomed change.” “This choice did not include those modifications. I have previously witnessed all that is taking place. I was fortunate enough to be on the committee when the Big 8 moved to the Big 12, so I am not unfamiliar with realignment. I have never heard of NIL before. I’m not unfamiliar with the transfer portal. That has been a problem for Olympic sports for many years.”
Smith stated that his coworkers would advise him to know when he’s ready to retire, and he did so following a discussion with his spouse.
“Sheila and I sat down this summer,” Smith remarked. “And I just said it’s time.”
The national championships in football, men’s volleyball, and wrestling, according to Smith, were all “unreal.” Smith, however, claimed that the 2011 football season “was hell.”
With a variety of specialized programs, Smith founded the Eugene D. Smith Leadership Institute to assist Buckeye athletes in developing into better individuals and leaders.
For the 2017–18 season, Smith was a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee.
“I’m most proud that we’ve been able to create a culture where we developed a student athlete holistically,” said Smith.
