COLUMBIA, S.C. — Longtime University of South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner will soon leave his current position and take a new role with the university.
The school confirmed Friday that Tanner will become athletics director emeritus and a senior advisor to the school president. In this role, he'll focus on fundraising and community engagement.
Tanner will remain the athletics director until a new person can be hired to fill that role. The school did not give a timeline on how long that might take. The school stated that Tanner would remain in his new position through June 2028 in a deal approved by the school's trustees Friday morning.
“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, who is in his 13th year at the helm of USC athletics. “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.”
This news comes a little over a year after he'd signed a contract extension to remain with the school as athletics director until 2026.
Tanner has overseen six national championships and record fundraising and revenue in his time. Before becoming athletics director, Tanner had been the school's baseball coach for 16 seasons, leading them to two national titles, including a stretch where they went to the College World Series championship three years in a row. He went to six College World Series overall.
“I was reluctant to accept Ray’s decision because of what he has accomplished and means to the Gamecock community,” USC President Michael Amiridis said in a statement. “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.”
Amiridis said Tanner had built a "remarkable legacy." Thad Westbrook, the chairman of the school's Board of Trustees, said Tanner brought "transformation charges" to the school.
“Ray is a legend at the University of South Carolina, and we've been fortunate to have him,” Westbrook said in a statement. “Ray is someone that I have always known as a Gamecock who puts the University of South Carolina first. He is leaving the athletics director position when the athletics department is in a very good place, and after a very successful year, particularly with a women’s basketball national championship and several outstanding coaching hires. I am pleased that Ray will continue to be a part of the university.”
During his tenure, the women’s basketball team won three national titles, while the equestrian team took home the 2015 national championship. Eight other programs posted the best finishes in their histories, including football, volleyball and men’s basketball – which reached the Final Four for the first time in 2017. Gamecock squads won 21 SEC regular-season and tournament titles and made 154 post-season appearances.