Former Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs, who resigned last year after a tumultuous year in Auburn sports, has found a new job at the University of Florida, where he will be their new executive associate athletic director, Florida's athletic director Scott Stricklin announced Tuesday.
Jacobs, an Auburn alumnus, will replace current Mike Hill, who left the Gators for his new post as Charlotte athletic director in March.
Jacobs' responsibilities will include oversight many areas in which he once oversaw at Auburn, from communications, marketing
Before rising to
"Florida Athletics is fortunate to have someone of Jay's caliber joining the UAA," Stricklin said. "His character, vision, experience
Before departing Auburn after a series of scandals hit the program last year, Jacobs was named the 2017 NACDA Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year and one of five finalists for the 2017 Sports Business Journal Athletics Director of the Year.
"Some people are fortunate to say they are coming home once in their careers, now I am lucky enough to say it twice," Jacobs said. "Having attended high school in Jacksonville, I'm honored and privileged to join the UAA and continue to work in the nation's best conference in the SEC. I am looking forward to working with Scott Stricklin and the rest of the staff to help serve the Gator student-athletes, coaches and fans of the Gator Nation."
Despite the scandals during the last few months of his tenure at Auburn, Jacobs oversaw many successes, which included Auburn's NCAA national championship in 2010, $220 million in facility improvements and another $96 million in improvements in progress at the time of his resignation.
He oversaw the hiring of nutritionists and mental-health professionals and the construction of the South Donahue Residence Hall and Wellness Kitchen, which were designed and built to benefit the experience of Auburn's student-athletes.
During Jacobs time as a student at
He earned his bachelor's degree in 1985 and then served as a graduate assistant football coach from 1986 to 1988 while earning his MBA.
After
Jacobs became Auburn's 14th athletic director in January 2005 and served in that role for 13 years, the third-longest tenure in school history.
Five different teams won 12 national championships and 25 conference championships while Jacobs was athletic director. The athletic department's revenue growth nearly tripled from $57.3 million in 2005 to $147.5 million in 2017.
Jacobs' final months at Auburn saw allegations against two winning softball coaches accused of inappropriate sexual conduct and the arrest of an Auburn basketball legend turned coach, Chuck Person, who was accused of bribery and corruption by federal prosecutors in New York.
He and Auburn Athletics denied any mishandling of the department, pointing to the softball coaches’ resignations and federal prosecutors who have said University administrators weren’t involved in nor subjects of the nationwide basketball investigation.
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