The rebuilt Pac-12 on Wednesday took a significant step ahead of its return to competition with the appointment of a deputy commissioner to run the conference on a daily basis and help oversee all sports.
Rick Hart, who spent 13 years in charge of SMU’s athletic department, will serve as commissioner Teresa Gould’s chief lieutenant.
Hart has decades of experience on the front lines of college sports and helped guide SMU’s transition into the ACC. He worked at Oklahoma and North Carolina in various capacities and is a two-time selection as Athletic Director of the Year, as awarded by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
“Rick is a leader who reflects the values that are foundational to the new Pac-12 and how we intend to operate moving forward,” Gould said in a statement released Wednesday morning.
“With a proven ability to lead through complexity, create alignment and deliver for student-athletes and key stakeholders, and with experience at every level of Division I, he brings tremendous credibility and perspective to our league as we modernize operations and drive competitive excellence across the Pac-12.”
The new Pac-12, with Washington State and Oregon State as the holdovers, becomes official July 1 with the additions of Gonzaga, Texas State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State.
The conference has not announced its lineup of sport but is expected to sponsor 18 to 20.
According to the Pac-12, Hart “will help lead day-to-day conference and membership operations and oversee several key membership-facing areas in conjunction with department leaders, including football, basketball, Olympic sports, compliance and governance, video operations and student-athlete engagement.”
Football operations chief Merton Hanks will continue to report directly to Gould, with Hart heavily involved in strategy and decision-making. Drew Seidenberger will run men’s basketball with Rhonda Bennett in charge of women’s basketball and the Olympic sports.
Hart’s most important role might be as the conference office’s primary liaison to the nine athletic directors, his former peer group. During this highly fluid era in college athletics, open communication and shared strategy between HQ and the campuses will be essential.
Hart experienced the challenges at the Group of Five level, when SMU was a member of the American, and at the Power Four level, when the Mustangs moved into the ACC.
(SMU was an expansion target of the former Pac-12, before its collapse in the summer of 2023.)
“I am honored to join the Pac-12 at such an important moment,” Hart said in the news release.
“The conference has a proud history and a clear vision for what it can be for its members, student-athletes and communities moving forward. I am excited to work with Commissioner Gould, the Pac-12 staff and Pac-12 member universities to deliver exceptional service, strengthen competitive opportunities, elevate brands and help position the new Pac-12 for success in today’s college athletics landscape.”
His first day on the job will be Jan. 12.
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