TurnkeyZRG Retained by Southern Methodist University to Find Next Director of Athletics
February 13, 2025 – TurnkeyZRG has been selected by Southern Methodist University (SMU) to lead in its search for a new director of athletics. Chad Chatlos, managing director, college & coaching practice, is leading the search. Rick Hart announced in a statement that he will be stepping down from his position after more than a decade leading the Mustangs. The search committee will create a position description, review candidate materials and conduct interviews before making a recommendation to president-elect Jay Hartzell, who will ultimately make the appointment.
“President-elect Hartzell and I are grateful to the members of the director of athletics search committee for their time, their input and, perhaps most importantly, their love for—and commitment to—SMU,” said R. Gerald Turner, president of SMU. “Our athletics program is an important part of our institution and its rise to national prominence elevates the entire university. We are confident that the search committee will identify exceptional candidates for consideration as we embark on a new chapter of Mustang Athletics.”
Southern Methodist University is a private research university in University Park, TX. The Mustangs currently participate in the NCAA Division I (FBS for football) as a member of the ACC. The Mustangs have a rich history in college sports, particularly in football, basketball, and soccer, but they also field competitive teams in sports like swimming, tennis, golf, and volleyball.
Founded in 1996, TurnkeyZRG is a specialized talent recruitment/executive search firm filling C-level, senior-level and mid-management-level positions throughout sports, media and entertainment. Over the past 25 years, the firm has filled more than 1,400 positions. TurnkeyZRG helps teams, leagues, stadiums, arenas, theaters, college athletic departments, events, sponsors, agencies, media companies, private equity companies and other clients identify, recruit, and hire the best management talent.
Len Perna is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Turnkey. He has 30-plus years’ experience in the sports and entertainment industry, with senior-level management experience in sales, event marketing and management, sponsorships, venue feasibility and development, facility operations, licensing, and legal affairs. Since founding Turnkey, Mr. Perna has managed over 1,400 executive searches.
Related: TurnkeyZRG Recruits Head Coach for Yale Men’s Golf Team
Mr. Chatlos specializes in senior executive searches across the sports industry with a focus on diverse roles in the ever–changing landscape of Intercollegiate Athletics. He has completed multiple Power Five commissioner searches for the ACC, Pac-12, Big 10 and Big 12. Mr. Chatlos has also placed multiple Power 5 head football coaches and played a pivotal role in the NCAA president search. Prior to joining TurnkeyZRG, Mr. Chatlos started and ran the sports & entertainment practice at Ventura Partners. With more than 15 years of experience in sports marketing and event management, he has property, agency, and corporate experience in the business of sports. Throughout his career, Mr. Chatlos has completed searches for the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, multiple National Governing Bodies, and several brands as well.
Today’s Athletic Directors
Athletic directors are playing an increasingly vital role at colleges and universities across the country. With the expansion of athletic departments and, for the larger schools, the infusion of big dollars for sports, more schools have turned to search firms when such positions become open. Too much is at stake, they feel, to go at it alone. What’s more, the AD job has come to demand greater business and management skills than the typical academic search.
TurnkeyZRG Recruits Director of Athletic for the University of Iowa
TurnkeyZRG recently assisted in the recruitment of Beth Goetz as the director of athletics for the University of Iowa. Past athletics director Gary Barta announced last year that he is retiring after 17 years at the university. “Beth is a talented and dynamic leader, and the national search we conducted has substantiated that she is the best athletics director for the University of Iowa,” said Barbara Wilson, president of University of Iowa. “She has done a remarkable job as interim, and I am confident she will lead our athletics department and student-athletes to new levels of achievement both on the field of play and in the classroom.”
“The AD today is the CEO of athletic operations at a college,” said John Lahey, current president at Quinnipiac University. “Thirty to 40 years ago, you were more likely to see former coaches and athletes promoted into those roles as a way of rewarding success or longevity, but now you need a business-person who is able to lead people, generate revenue and understand how the marketing and brand of athletics can impact the entire university.”
Bill Lennox, president at St. Leo University in Florida, said schools must make sure that the AD is a senior member of the entire university staff. “We moved the AD to the equivalent level of a vice president, so he sat in all of the meetings and in the decision-making process with the rest of the VPs of the university,” he said.
The modern AD position oversees finances, marketing, human resources, student-athlete wellness, media contracts, and of course overall performance – all while salaries head well into seven figures and beyond.
Related: TurnkeyZRG Recruits Commissioner for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
