Breaking down possible candidates to replace Ohio State AD Gene Smith

COLUMBUS — College athletics is getting a complete makeover next year. Ohio State isn’t devoid of that change.

Most notably, longtime athletic director Gene Smith will be stepping down on June 30, 2024. His retirement will precede the scrapping of Big Ten divisions, the conference’s expansion from 14 to 18 teams and the College Football Playoff’s adoption of a 12-team field.

Meanwhile, NIL and the transfer portal continue to redefine the world of college athletics as we knew it. Whoever replaces Smith won’t just have to fill the shoes of a premier voice in the industry, but they will also have to navigate a pivotal time in the history of not only Ohio State but the NCAA as a whole.

Before Ohio State can officially begin its search for a new athletic director, it has to replace university president Kristina Johnson, who stepped down in May.

After announcing his retirement Wednesday, Smith said he hopes to provide the new president with “recommendations on characteristics they might consider” during the AD search process.

Smith said that, to him, “institutional knowledge” of Ohio State is important — when thinking about filling the position — but he also pointed out that he’s not the person making the hire.

“Hopefully, they’re going to hire someone skilled and with experience,” Smith said. “Someone hopefully with high IQ and EQ. Someone that understands the value of people. That’s a huge characteristic. Someone that holds true to their values of integrity and respect for others.”

Smith continued: “But they’re gonna have to be patient. In this ever-changing world that we’re dealing with, you gotta hit pause. Don’t overreact. Just be patient and be curious and inquisitive. Ask a lot of questions and then, at some point when you have to be authoritative, lead.

“You just can’t overreact in this space.”

So who could be a good fit? Lettermen Row is examining four potential candidates.

Pat Chun, Washington State AD

Pat Chun is entering his sixth year as the Washington State AD. He became the first Asian American Power Five AD when he was hired in 2018. Before taking on that position, he was the FAU AD for five and a half years. And, before that, he spent 15 years working for the Ohio State athletic department in various roles. That run with the Buckeyes from 1997-2012 finished with Chun serving as Ohio State’s executive associate athletics director for external relations. In that job, he oversaw development, ticketing, fan experience and promotions, multimedia rights partnerships, communications, public relations and branding, alumni relations and community relations, among other areas. With Chun at the helm, there was a 20% annual bump in donations to Ohio State Athletics, amassing $117.8 million of fundraising in three years. Chun also played a part in a record-breaking multimedia rights deal with IMG College in 2009.

The case for Chun: He and his wife are Ohio State alumi. The Strongsville, Ohio, native’s success with donors throughout his career carries weight — most recently, Washington State set a university record in 2022-23 with $61.9 million in athletics fundraising. Plus, while Chun’s been at Washington State, the Cougars football team has made the postseason four times, despite two coaching changes. The women’s volleyball team has made the NCAA Tournament every year since 2016, and the men’s basketball team is coming off back-to-back postseason appearances, albeit in the NIT, for the first time in more than a decade. Chun currently serves on the NCAA Division I Council committee, he’s the president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and he’s the chair of the NCAA Strategic Vision and Planning Committee. Like Smith, Chun has a national presence, including in the NIL space, where he’s even testified in front of Congress regarding regulation. With the Pac-12 dissolving, Chun has good reason to look elsewhere.

Heather Lyke, Pitt AD

Heather Lyke was hired as Pitt’s AD in 2017. She’s helped the athletic department regain national relevance in the revenue sports space. But her impact has been felt across Pitt Athletics, as the Panthers recorded their highest points total in the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup during the 2022-23 academic year. Lyke was named a 2023 Cushman & Wakefield AD of the Year by the NACDA. She deserves recognition for more than just her teams’ success, though. She fundraised the biggest single donation in Pitt history while raising $67 million in the last two fiscal years. Additionally, she’s played a role in the construction of a $240 million athletic complex that will serve all but three of Pitt’s varsity sports. Before taking over at Pitt, Lyke was the AD at Eastern Michigan from 2013-17. From 1998-2013, she worked at Ohio State, where she supervised the Buckeyes’ sports performance division — that included the strength and conditioning coaches, athletic training staff as well as the sports medicine and sports psychology staff.

The case for Lyke: It’s impossible to understate how impressive Lyke’s turnaround at Pitt has been. Just look at the Panthers’ success this past year: The football team finished in the AP Top 25 for the second straight season; the men’s soccer team made it to the College Cup for the second time in three years; the women’s volleyball team clinched its second straight Final Four appearance; the women’s soccer team played its way into the Sweet Sixteen, while making its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance; and the men’s basketball team won multiple NCAA Tournament games for the first time since 2009. In the early days of NIL, Lyke introduced the “Pitt NIL Program” to help student-athletes maximize their branding. Also something worth mentioning: Not only did Lyke work under Smith, but she also shared the same job as him at Eastern Michigan, where Smith was AD from 1985-1993.

Martin Jarmond, UCLA AD

Martin Jarmond has ascended through the ranks of college athletics. After serving as an assistant athletic director for development at Michigan State for seven years, he took on the role of associate athletic director for development and then, eventually, deputy director of athletics at Ohio State. Jarmond became the lead administrator for multiple sports, including football and men’s basketball. Notably, he was responsible for football scheduling at Ohio State. He went on to earn the AD job at Boston College in 2017. In doing so, he was the first Black AD in BC history and, at the time, the youngest AD in the Power Five. Jarmond was at BC only three years but made quite an impact. He led BC’s first-ever athletics-only capital campaign, which, back then, was the largest such campaign of any ACC school. Jarmond left BC for UCLA in 2020 and, soon after, ushered the Bruins into a partnership with Nike/Jordan Brand. Jarmond has carried over his diversity and inclusion efforts to UCLA. His NIL program “Westwood Ascent” strives to help student-athletes benefit from branding opportunities.

The case for Jarmond: Jarmond, a two-time honoree for Sports Business Journal‘s Forty Under 40, is a charismatic leader who’s served as a major player in three of the Power Five conferences, including as an AD for programs in the ACC and Pac-12. He helped UCLA join the Big Ten last summer, and he’s also overseen the Bruins’ revenue sports return to national prominence, with the men’s basketball team reaching three straight Sweet Sixteens and the football team posting back-to-back eight-plus-win seasons. Jarmond is only 42 years old and could return to Columbus for the long haul. He has pushed for mental health awareness, voting initiatives and first-generation student-athlete support, among other important issues, during his career as an athletic director. His Big Ten connections will be critical, whether he stays at UCLA or succeeds Smith at Ohio State.

Diana Sabau, Utah State AD

Diana Sabau was hired as the Utah State AD this week. She previously held the role of Big Ten deputy commissioner, which called for her to oversee all 28 Big Ten sports. More specifically, Sabau provided guidance to the Big Ten Commissioner — formerly Kevin Warren and currently Tony Pettit — and was responsible for departmental oversight of the administration of Big Ten football, basketball, hockey, Olympic sports and officiating. Before that, she was the senior deputy director of athletics at Ohio State from 2017-21. Sabau was the lead administrator for Ohio State football, women’s ice hockey and the co-ed rifle and pistol programs. During that span, Ohio State football made the CFP twice and won four straight Big Ten titles. More directly, she had an impact on scheduling, contract negotiation and compliance. Sabau helped lock down home-and-home series with Notre Dame (2022-23), Alabama (2027-28), Texas (2025-26) and Georgia (2030-31). She was influential in Ohio State Athletics’ partnerships with Coca-Cola, Gatorade and Nike, too.

The case for Sabau: She has a diverse set of experiences and, like the other candidates, institutional knowledge of Ohio State. She was part of the successful transition between the Urban Meyer and Ryan Day eras, and her combination of sport oversight and branding acumen could come in handy in the NIL era. On the flip side, Sabau was just appointed AD at Utah State. That would be a quick turnaround to already interview at Ohio State. Additionally, she could have a momentous role in the latest realignment shake-up, considering that the Mountain West could be on the receiving end of the Pac-12’s demise. Still, her name belongs in this group, as she’s someone with close ties to Smith and Ohio State, along with an appealing rolodex of abilities.

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