Syracuse AD John Wildhack set to retire after 10 years
John Wildhack will retire after 10 years as Syracuse's athletic director on July 1, ESPN reported Wednesday. Leonardo Eriman | Senior Staff Photographer
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Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack is set to retire, ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported on Wednesday. Wildhack will remain in his role through July 1 to conclude his 10-year tenure at SU.
Syracuse Athletics confirmed the report in a press release.
Wildhack’s retirement plans came over four months after it was announced that Chancellor Kent Syverud — who will become Michigan’s next president — will leave SU after the 2025-26 academic year. In September, Wildhack, 67, said he had no plans to leave his position after it was announced Syverud would be stepping down.
As Syracuse’s 11th director of athletics, the Orange’s most notable athletic accomplishment under Wildhack was the men’s soccer team winning the 2022 National Championship. Though the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs each made Final Fours during his tenure, they fell short of reaching National Championship games.
On the hardwood, SU’s women’s basketball program made five NCAA Tournaments while the men’s program faltered to just three. Wildhack was tasked with hiring Felisha Legette-Jack to lead the women’s program after turbulence under previous head coach Quentin Hillsman, and he navigated Jim Boeheim’s retirement following 47 years at the helm.
Though football had its ups and downs, the Orange had two 10-win seasons during Wildhack’s tenure. Arguably one of his best decisions was the risky hiring of Fran Brown — who had no prior head coaching experience — after former head coach Dino Babers was fired for failing to eclipse a seven-win benchmark in 2023.
It’s unclear what Wildhack’s retirement could mean for men’s basketball head coach Adrian Autry’s future. The Orange are 13-11 (4-7 Atlantic Coast) in a potential make-or-break season for the third-year head coach. But because Wildhack is set to retire, it’s unknown if he will decide whether SU sticks with Autry or moves in another direction.
Wildhack replaced Mark Coyle, who left to become Minnesota’s athletic director, as SU’s Director of Athletics in July 2016. Previously, Wildhack was the executive vice president for programming and production at ESPN, where he had worked for 36 years.
It’s unclear what SU’s plans are to fill its soon-to-be vacant Chancellor and Director of Athletics roles. However, it’s important to note that former Pittsburgh AD Heather Lyke was hired last year in July to work with Syverud and Wildhack in an advisory role.
