Syracuse Names New Athletic Director with Expanded Role

The successor to John Wildhack will face new challenges in the evolving college sports landscape.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Syracuse University is searching for a new athletic director to replace John Wildhack, who is leaving the position. The new AD will share the same title but face a dramatically different set of responsibilities compared to Wildhack's tenure. The top priority will be navigating the new era of college athlete compensation and collective bargaining, as well as ensuring Syracuse's conference affiliation remains secure amid ongoing realignment.

Why it matters

The new Syracuse AD will need to be adept at navigating the rapidly changing college sports business landscape, which now includes direct athlete compensation, collective bargaining, and the threat of conference realignment. Their ability to generate revenue and keep Syracuse competitive will be crucial for the university's athletic programs.

The details

Syracuse's next athletic director will be the 12th in school history and will be primarily tasked with keeping the university's athletic department financially stable in the face of new challenges. This includes finding ways to pay competitive salaries to top players and coaches, as the gap widens between the wealthiest conferences like the Big Ten and SEC versus other leagues. Generating increased corporate sponsorship and partnerships will be crucial, as will ensuring Syracuse's conference affiliation in the ACC remains secure amid the threat of realignment.

  • In 2021, outgoing AD John Wildhack discussed his role in developing student-athletes.
  • In December 2025, Wildhack said Syracuse would "struggle" without increased corporate support for its athletes.
  • On February 11, 2026, Wildhack announced he is leaving the AD position.

The players

John Wildhack

The outgoing athletic director at Syracuse University, who has held the position since 2021.

Kent Syverud

The chancellor of Syracuse University, who will soon be departing for a new role at the University of Michigan.

Adrian Autry

The current head coach of the Syracuse men's basketball team, whose future is uncertain after several disappointing seasons.

Fran Brown

The head coach of the Syracuse football team, who has had mixed results in his first two seasons.

Micron

A technology company that recently broke ground on a major new manufacturing facility in the Syracuse area, which could be a potential corporate partner for the university's athletic department.

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What they’re saying

“When I get asked by recruits, 'What does an AD really do,' I say it's really pretty simple. We're in the business of developing young people. If your son or daughter comes here, we want to develop them to their full potential, academically and athletically, and we're never going to veer from that.”

— John Wildhack, Outgoing Athletic Director (ESPN Radio Syracuse)

“Companies working with our athletes directly and our athletes representing those companies, if we get the corporate support we need, we'll be fine. If we don't, we're gonna struggle.”

— John Wildhack, Outgoing Athletic Director (ESPN Radio Syracuse)

“There needs to be collective bargaining. The players should be getting paid, no question about that. But with collective bargaining there's rules that have been bargained for. It's a legal document that everybody has obligations they're required to uphold. That's where we need to go.”

— John Wildhack, Outgoing Athletic Director (ESPN)

What’s next

The university will conduct a search for Wildhack's successor, who will be tasked with navigating the new realities of college sports including athlete compensation and conference realignment.

The takeaway

Syracuse's next athletic director will face a dramatically different set of challenges compared to the outgoing AD, John Wildhack. The new role will require expertise in areas like revenue generation, collective bargaining, and conference affiliation to keep the university's athletic programs competitive in the evolving college sports landscape.