Colorado AD Rick George to step down at end of current academic year
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Colorado Buffaloes athletic director Rick George is stepping away from his position at the end of the academic year and becoming the special advisor to the chancellor and director of athletics emeritus, the school announced on Thursday.
Georgia has been Colorado's athletic director since 2013 and was named the Athletic Director of the Year in 2023-24 by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. According to the release, he will help revenue-generating initiatives in his new role and details on a search for his replacement will be announced later.
"It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Athletic Director for the University of Colorado for the last 13 years, but after considerable thought and discussions with my family dating back to last spring, I have decided it is time for new leadership to guide the department," George said. "I wanted to make this announcement now in order to give Chancellor Schwartz plenty of time to find the right person for Colorado, and I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure a smooth transition. I also wanted to time my announcement so that I could support Coach Prime and our football team this season, which I'm looking forward to continuing in my new role.
"I am so grateful to the CU Board of Regents, President Saliman, Chancellor Schwartz, and former Chancellor DiStefano, for the opportunity to lead this department. Thank you to our staff, our coaches, our donors, Buff Nation and especially our student-athletes for making this the best job in the country. The University of Colorado is a special place, and I'll always cherish the incredible relationships I've made during my time here in Boulder.
"I am truly thankful that Chancellor Schwartz has asked me to stay on as Special Advisor and AD Emeritus after my successor is named, which keeps me connected to CU Athletics while also allowing for plenty of time with my granddaughters Harper and Maddie. To my wife Nancy, our daughters Jenni and Christi, family, friends, colleagues and Buff fans—thank you for your incredible support."
George made the bold decision to hire Deion Sanders as the head coach of the football program in 2022, rejuvenating the program and drawing national attention to Boulder. He is in his second stint at Colorado after being hired as the football team's recruiting coordinator in 1987, going on to become the assistant athletic director for football operations.
He left to oversee Vanderbilt's football program and be their associate athletic director for external operations in 1991. He then joined the PGA Tour in 1998, serving in a variety of roles before becoming the president and chief operating officer of the Texas Rangers in 2010, his final job before returning to Colorado in 2013.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado Buffaloes: AD Rick George to step down, become advisor
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