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SMU athletic director Rick Hart announced Friday that he will be leaving his position at the end of the school year.

“It is with tremendous pride, heartfelt love, and yes, mixed emotions, that I share with you that I have made the decision that this academic year will be my last at SMU,” Hart wrote in a statement posted to X.

“… It is time for a new challenge for me and for a new voice to lead the Mustangs.”

Hart took over as athletic director at SMU in July 2012. He was in charge of overseeing the Mustangs’ shift to the Atlantic Coast Conference, which took effect with the 2024-25 school year. In its first year in the conference, the football program advanced to the 12-team College Football Playoff.

His departure coincides with that of university president R. Gerald Turner, who announced last summer that he would leave the school effective June. 1.

Hart said that by leaving now, incoming president Jay Hartzell — most recently the president at the University of Texas — will be able to “move forward with his own vision.”

In his statement, Hart did not specify what his next move will be.

“When I interviewed for this job, President Turner shared that he wished for a nationally competitive athletics program on par with the quality of the university,” Hart said in his statement. “Mission accomplished! Of course, there is always more we could have done and more that lies ahead, but I am excited for what comes next for me and for SMU athletics.”

In a news release, SMU said it will begin it search for Hart’s successor “in the coming weeks.”

–Field Level Media