Report: Shawn Eichorst resigns as Miami AD

Miami AD Shawn Eichorst has reportedly resigned amidst NCAA investigations and a tumultuous time for the athletic department. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

Miami's athletics director, Shawn Eichorst, resigned according to an AP report via USA Today on Thursday morning. The source reporting the news spoke to the AP anonymously because the university had not publicly announced the decision. Eichorst hasn't spoken with the media in months.

Eichorst joined the Hurricanes 18 months ago after serving as Wisconsin's chief operating officer for athletics. He was recommended for the new position by Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez who is a close friend of Miami President Donna Shalala. Eichorst arrived at Miami at a particularly tumultuous time:

Funds were being raised for facility upgrades, and the school was in the process of hiring a basketball coach to replace Frank Haith, eventually deciding on bringing in Jim Larranaga. Quietly, though, the Hurricanes were also under NCAA investigation over their compliance practices, which wound up overshadowing everything Eichorst did at Miami.

The story over Miami's NCAA mess broke publicly in August 2011, when claims made by former booster and convicted Ponzi scheme architect Nevin Shapiro — now serving a 20-year prison term for his role in bilking investors out of $930 million — were published by Yahoo! Sports. Shapiro said he provided dozens of Miami athletes and recruits with impermissible benefits over an eight-year period starting in 2002.

The school is expected to receive a notice of allegations and sanctions by the NCAA in the coming months.

One of the last times Eichorst addressed the media was during a roundtable interview with Miami reporters in November 2011 during which he said:

"I'm not making any excuses. I'm not asking anybody to feel sorry for me or anybody else," Eichorst said. "I've got a job to do and I'm only looking forward. I'm not looking backwards."