Former Ohio State AD Gene Smith joins Maryland's athletic department as consultant

Ahmed Ghafir
Jul 24
1 min read

Jim Smith officially began his tenure as Maryland’s athletic director following the 2025 MLB All-Star game on July 15, while former Utah State AD Diana Sabau is expected to arrive in College Park on Monday, July 28. But Maryland also made another hire to assist in the short-term rebuild of the athletic department.

Former Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith is joining the athletic department in a consultant role that’s expected to last six month, as first reported by the Columbus Dispatch. Gene is expected to work with Jim on marketing and communications during his time with the university.

“You have to have something to keep you mentally active,” Gene Smith told the Dispatch, “and the consulting and board work keeps me mentally active. Obviously, I’m not working 80-plus hours a week.”

Prior to Jim Smith’s tenure with the Atlanta Braves, the two worked together at Ohio State where Jim served as the president and CEO of Ohio State’s Alumni Association as Gene served as athletic director.

The addition of Gene Smith serves as another key win for an athletic department looking to improve fan engagement and fundraising efforts. While Smith is already in College Park and Sabau officially heads to campus next week, Maryland will also welcome another addition at the end of next week when Joe LaBue, hired as the newest deputy AD/chief revenue officer, officially begins his tenure on Aug. 1.

Related Links