Gene Smith Discusses His Ohio State Career, College Sports Changes and Upcoming Retirement

Real Pod Wednesdays

Gene Smith is ready for the next chapter of his life.

Less than two weeks away from his retirement, Ohio State’s athletic director says he isn’t having any second thoughts about his decision to move on at the end of the month. After 19 years leading OSU’s athletic department, Smith feels ready to move to Arizona, play more golf and spend more time with his grandchildren.

Before leaving Columbus, however, Smith joined us for nearly 30 minutes on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays to talk about how he’s helped Ohio State prepare for the future and reflect on his career in Columbus.

Following our conversation with the athletic director, we shared our thoughts on what Smith had to say about the changes that could be required for Ohio State to continue funding 36 sports in the revenue-sharing era, how OSU is prioritizing the success of its football program and what we believe Smith should be most remembered for.

The rundown of our conversation:

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:07 Gene Smith is Ready for Retirement
• 3:54 Why and How Smith Went All In on Ohio State Football in His Final Offseason on the Job
• 7:31 Gene Smith Expects First-Year Challenges But Long-Term Success for Jake Diebler
• 10:24 Gene’s Advice for Ross Bjork: “Pause and Don’t Press”
• 13:06 How Ohio State is Preparing for Revenue Sharing in College Sports
• 17:03 Ohio State Committed to Keeping 36 Sports, But Funding for Some Sports Will Change
• 18:22 How Ohio State Teaches Financial Literacy to Its Athletes
• 21:36 Smith Concerned About Academic Ramifications of Transfers
• 23:37 Why Helping Athletes Off the Field Was So Important to Gene
• 26:34 Football and Wrestling National Championships Among Gene’s Proudest Accomplishments
• 29:52 Reaction to Gene’s Comments About Football Investment, Funding for Other Sports
• 37:56 How We’ll Remember Gene Smith’s Tenure as Athletic Director