SMU athletic director Rick Hart will step down from his position near the end of the current academic year, the university announced Friday. He will continue to serve as athletic director until SMU can identify a replacement. 

“It is with tremendous pride, heartfelt love, and yes, mixed emotions, that I share I have made the decision that this academic year will be my last at SMU,” Hart said in a statement. “After the honor of leading the Department of Athletics for thirteen years, it is time for a new challenge for me and for a new voice to lead the Mustangs, allowing President-Elect Hartzell to move forward with his own vision and leader as SMU moves forward in this new landscape of collegiate athletics.”  

Hart was hired as SMU’s athletic director in 2012 after six years in the same capacity at UT-Chattanooga. He also served in various administrative capacities at Oklahoma, North Carolina and East Carolina. 

The decision comes not long after SMU announced that Jay Hartzell, who currently serves as University of Texas president, will begin his tenure in the same role for SMU on June 1, 2025. The SMU Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of Hartzell, who has been Texas’ full-time president since Sept. 2020. 

Hart oversaw athletic resurgence

SMU, with the help of its deep cadre of boosters, made plenty of significant moves under Hart. In September 2023, SMU announced that it would transition to the ACC, ascending to the Power Four conference level after 18 years in Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference. 

The Mustangs had immediate success in their first year with the ACC. Football coach Rhett Lashlee, whom Hart hired from Miami in 2022, guided SMU to an 11-1 regular season record — including an undefeated mark in conference play — and an appearance in the ACC Championship Game. SMU also qualified for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff and finished the 2024 season with more wins than any other ACC program. 

Hart also oversaw the construction of the Gary Weber End Zone Complex, a $100 million upgrade to SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The complex was dedicated in September 2024, just in time for SMU’s ACC debut. 

Naturally, Hart’s impact extends well beyond the football field. Hart poached sitting USC basketball coach Andy Enfield, who made five NCAA Tournament appearances in 11 seasons with the Trojans, to guide the Mustangs as they transitioned to the ACC on the court. In his first season at SMU, Enfield boasts an 18-5 record and currently has his team at No. 4 in the ACC standings, well within shouting distance of a top-three finish.