WINSTON-SALEM, NC - SEPTEMBER 16: Utah State Aggies helmet sits on top of a cool on the sideline at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem, NC. (Photo by Dannie Walls/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire/Getty Images John Hartwell, who had served as the AD at Utah State since 2015, resigned on Monday night, according to reports.
Hartwell, per ESPN's Pete Thamel , resigned in order to "move his family back to the South." Hartwell is a Mobile, Alabama native who attended The Citadel and has previous work stops at Georgia State, Ole Miss and Troy.
Considering Hartwell reportedly coveted the AD position at Auburn, many are speculating he will surface there or elsewhere in the SEC soon. "Former Troy AD who actively campaigned for the Auburn AD job the last two times it was open and didn’t land it," said AL.com's John Talty. "Huge news!
I am very sad to see John Hartwell leave the program, but he's orchestrated the greatest era of USU sports, IMO," said Utah State fan Braden Clark. "I wish him the best on his future SEC endeavors... which we will see that news soon I imagine." "There’s a certain NIL associate AD position that was just created at Auburn that he would be absolutely perfect for," added an AU alum.
Some are more cynical, speculating that Hartwell might have wanted out because of off-field issues involving the Utah State football team. "I know lots of people that quit their job on a moment’s notice in the middle of the school year because they want to move their family back home," said one USU fan. "Even more that do it with lawsuits and job searches brewing.
Wait a minute…" "There is no merit to the lawsuit that we ignored retaliation against a whistleblower; anyway, I really miss my family," said another Twitter user.
We should know more about Hartwell's future in the coming days. source