“Jeremy’s incredible accomplishments as Athletics Director are well known, and the university is very grateful to him for the national championships, a winning sports program that is highly ranked year after year, and the growth of women’s sports”, Florida president Kent Fuchs said in a statement.
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Longtime Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, one of the most successful college sports leaders in the country the last 25 years, is retiring.
Under Foley, the Gators won national titles in 13 different sports.
The school has also never ranked below 7th in the NCAA All-Sport Rankings in that time, and no worse than fourth since 2008. He started in the ticket office and took over as AD in 1992.
Athletic directors mostly have a thankless job and few know their names, unless something goes wrong.
Foley will remain at UF as Emeritus Athletics Director per his current contract agreement.
“But now it is time for me to step aside”. He’s also the only AD in Division I history to have his school’s football and men’s basketball programs win multiple national titles.
Florida has claimed the SEC Overall All-Sports Trophy in 24 of Foley’s 25 years and has swept the trophy in men’s and women’s sports 15 times. I’ve worked with some of the best in the business and met some truly outstanding people. “I ended up being general manger of the Gators”, Foley said in a press release. And I want to make sure everyone understands this is my decision. I still have some work to do for this organization.
Foley was someone who wore his athletic heart on his sleeve at every school event. “I like to cheer”. Sometimes my being a fan may have caused me problems in my career, especially with members of the media because I was too much of a fan. His top priority is to complete multiple facility projects that are now planned as part of the UAA’s master facility plan. The Stephen C. O’Connell Center is in the midst of a $65 million renovation that will not be completed until late December, while a new $25 million student-athlete facility, the Hawkins Center, is expected to open before July 1. The Gators missed the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
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As chief financial officer for the University Athletic Association, Foley has spearheaded a number of improvement projects involving every athletic facility, including two expansion projects to the football stadium. “I have been truly blessed with a career I have loved at a place I love”, Foley said.
