Utah State AD John Hartwell is interested in the open Auburn Athletic Director position
After the sudden departure of Auburn athletic director Allen Greene last Friday, numerous names were quickly thrown out as potential replacements, and one primary name on our list was current Utah State Athletic Director John Hartwell.
Hartwell, an Mobile native, confirmed on an interview with Mobile sports radio station WNSP that he would be interested in the position if contacted by Auburn representatives.
"To be associated with that job is flattering, and I think it is one of the very best jobs in the country so if they called I would absolutely listen." he told morning show hosts Mark and Lee on "Opening Kickoff".
He explained that, being an Alabama native, he has family ties with the Tigers. "My family does have a history with Auburn. Both of my parents are grads, both of my sisters were grads. Both of my mom’s parents were grads, my grandfather and father are longtime season ticket holders."
"A lot of people [...] used to say 'oh I was in Legion Field for the "Punt, Bama, Punt" game', but I actually was there with my family - I legitimately was there. 50 years of history - even though I didn't go to school there, that's flattering to be associated with. I still think it's one of the very best jobs in the entire country."
He went on to explain that part of the credit for being considered for a job such as Auburn's is because of the successes of the student-athletes at Utah State, reciting a litany of athletic achievements in recent history.
Hartwell acknowledged that he had worked with Greene when they overlapped at Ole Miss - Hartwell was Chief Operating Officer of the Ole Miss Athletic Association while Greene was an Associate Athletic Director - and that he wished Greene and the family well in their endeavors.
Part of the appeal of Hartwell is that he's a proven fundraiser and has a history of facilities upgrades: at Troy, he oversaw the construction of new practice facilities for both Troy softball and golf, as well as renovations of the Troy softball complex and a $2.1M renovation of football's Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Hartwell reiterated that he "in a great place" and "had a lot of good things going and a great job" there at Utah State, but admitted that the allure of leading an SEC program tied deep to his family history would be appealing to him.
Listen to the full interview on WNSP here.
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