Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs abruptly resigned Friday. Hobbs, who was hired in 2015, was the longest-tenured AD in the Big Ten.
He will be replaced by deputy athletic director Ryan Pisarri on an interim basis as the school begins a search for a permanent replacement.
The 64-year-old Hobbs cited health-related concerns for his sudden departure from the job.
“After meeting with my cardiac team this week and having just been apprised of the results of my latest round of testing, it is clear that I can not continue to serve as Athletic Director given the requirements of the position,” Hobbs wrote in an email to school president Jonathan Holloway. “I recognize this is not the ideal timeframe to depart, however other factors need to take precedence.”
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Under Hobbs’ direction, Rutgers fired Chris Ash as the Scarlet Knights football coach and was able to bring back Greg Schiano who has revitalized the football program. Last year, Schiano led Rutgers to a 7-6 season that culminated with a Pinstripe Bowl win over Miami in his fourth year back on the job. That ended a stretch of eight losing seasons in a row.
Hobbs also hired Stony Brook’s Steve Pikiell who, in 2021, led Rutgers men’s basketball to its first NCAA Tourney win in 38 years and now has a program with multiple five-star recruits on its roster.
Rutgers extended Hobbs in 2022 on a contract that would have kept him in the role through 2028.
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(Photo: Rich Schultz / Getty Images)
