The swift change experienced by SMU athletics over the last few years continued with news that athletic director Rick Hart was stepping down from his post. Hart, a graduate of North Carolina and former AD at Tennessee at Chattanooga, arrived on the Hilltop in the summer of 2012 as the Mustangs were transitioning from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference.

Hart’s tenure was punctuated with SMU’s move to the ACC ahead of the 2024 school year. A move that paid immediate dividends with a trip to the College Football Playoff. His last two hires in football – Sonny Dykes and Rhett Lashlee – helped the Ponies return to relevance on a national stage with Dyke’s 2019 squad winning 10 games for the first time since 1984 and Lashlee’s 2023 team claiming a conference title for the first time in over 40 years. 

SMU is also undergoing a transition at president with Jay Hartzell, who left the same role at Texas, replacing R. Gerald Turner on June 1. Hart's vacant job should be one of hte more coveted posts in college athletics with SMU having money to spend at a private institution that is clearly motivated to win in sports after 40 years on the backburner. The Ponies want to be nationally relevant again and a high-profile athletic director can help the school take the next step in the athletic sphere.