COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - University of South Carolina’s (USC) athletics director Ray Tanner is transitioning to a new role, according to a release from the university.
Tanner will be moving to become athletics director emeritus and senior advisor to university President Michael Amiridis. He will remain athletics director until someone else is hired for the position.
“I’m humbled and honored that I have had the great fortune to be a part of this wonderful university and that will continue,” said Tanner. “For a while now, I have thought there’s going to come a time for Carolina to get a new athletics director, and the president and I have had those conversations. There was interest for me to remain at the university. I agreed to stay in a new role because of my passion for this university, this city and this state.”
Tanner is currently in his 13th year in charge of South Carolina’s athletics department. He oversaw six national championships and worked as head baseball coach for 16 seasons prior to becoming director. Under Tanner’s leadership, the baseball team won two national titles.
“I was reluctant to accept Ray’s decision because of what he has accomplished and means to the Gamecock community,” Amiridis said. “Ray serves USC with such integrity and devotion, and sets high standards in developing student-athletes and enhancing fan experiences. I am very pleased that the Board of Trustees agreed to have Ray continue his commitment to the university from a different position.”
The university said Gamecock teams soared to “new levels of success” under Tanner’s leadership, highlighting the women’s basketball team’s three national titles and the equestrian team’s 2015 national championship.
Under Tanner, eight other athletics programs posted the best finishes in their histories, according to USC, with football, volleyball and men’s basketball all reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2017.
You can watch a livestream of a press conference where university officials remark on the transition below.
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