A
day after the first ever, and possibly the biggest Sun Belt Conference football
rivalry Troy University Athletic Director Steve Dennis will resign. This comes
unexpected to the Troy Trojans and the Sun Belt Conference.
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| Troy Athletic Director Steve Dennis |
On
Tuesday July 24, 2012, Troy Athletic Director Steve Dennis announced that he
will resign from his position on Sept. 30.
"The
university will always hold a special place in my heart and my family will
always be a Troy family," Dennis told the Associated Press. "Our
athletic department has accomplished a great deal at Troy, and I believe this
is the right time in my life to explore other opportunities.”
The
resignation will come a day after Troy University plays South Alabama in
football for the first time ever. The two are expected to become Sun Belt
rivals. The schools are separated by only 175 miles.
During
his tenure, the Trojans have won five Sun Belt Conference football titles. They
have also had several facilities upgrades, including the $31 million Trojan
Arena, which will open for the upcoming basketball season and house the new Troy
University Sports Hall of Fame.
Don
Maestri the head men basketball coach spoke of Steve Dennis.
"For
me, he did a great job of supporting the basketball program, and I've always
evaluated people when times were not going well," the coach said. "In
2009 we had an outstanding year, we went to the CBI. In 2010, we won the Sun
Belt and went to the NIT, but the year prior to that we were in last place. He
backed us during the tough times. I think that's why we came back the next two
seasons and had some success, because of his support."
Dennis
had previously worked in various capacities at Auburn starting in 1985. He
played football for Georgia and was the defensive captain in 1978.
Troy
has not made a statement on their search for a new AD as of today. I will
continue to bring you more information as it becomes available.
