The University of Miami announced the retirement of former vice president and athletic director Dan Radakovich last month after more than 4 years with the program. Just over a month later, the former Miami, Clemson, and Georgia Tech athletic director is coming out of retirement to assume a new FBS role.

Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Dan Radakovich, the former Miami athletic director, has been hired as the new executive director of the FBS Athletic Director Association. It is the professional organization for Division 1 ADs. The new role will see Radakovich return from retirement and become a prominent figure in college sports once more.

Radakovich’s time at Miami was characterized by immense growth in the athletic department. He joined Miami in 2021 after spending nine years occupying the same role at Clemson. He earned his master’s degree from Miami in 1982 and had his first college athletics job with the program. Then, he returned to the program at the same time Oregon’s Mario Cristobal was making the move to Miami.

The result was a period of gradual improvement for the football team. It culminated in the Canes reaching the national championship game last season. And although Miami lost to Indiana, the football team is in a solid state after years of misery since its national championship 25 years ago.

Miami’s men’s basketball team was not far behind as they reached their first Final Four. The women’s team also reached the Elite Eight, while the baseball team was a win away from winning the College World Series last year. Similarly, the diving, track, and tennis teams all won national championships during his tenure.

Radakovich also improved the program academically, matching the school record with an NCAA Graduation Success Rate of 94 percent. The student-athletes also set a department record for semester GPA (3.40) last fall, the first time in school history that all 18 programs surpassed 3.0.

Though he completely transformed Miami, his attachment to Clemson remains very strong. After getting the Miami job, he and his wife did not sell their house in South Carolina; instead, his wife was always moving between Seneca, Coral Gables, and Florida. It was his plan to return to South Carolina after retirement. During his nine-year tenure at Clemson, Dan Radakovich oversaw the rise of Dabo Swinney’s team, a period in which the Tigers won two national championships.

Radakovich’s farewell to Miami

Dan Radakovich’s final contract with Miami was set to expire after the 2026 season, but he chose to retire before then. According to him, the decision to retire was his, without the university interfering. He penned an emotional statement bidding the program goodbye.

“Last week the university announced that I will be retiring as vice president and director of athletics effective June 1. I depart with a deep sense of gratitude for the campus leaders that hired me, the staff that worked so tirelessly beside me, and our student-athletes who represented this institution with character and class as they pursued their athletic and academic dreams,” Radakovich said.

Reports revealed that Miami was looking to hire an AD who could help raise funds, make deals, and better navigate the NIL/revenue-sharing era. Hence, their reported target to replace him has been entertainment CEO Michael Yomark.