Hart To Continue As Special Advisor For Athletics

GREENVILLE, N.C. (ECU News Services) – Dave Hart, who has served as a special advisor to the chancellor for athletics at East Carolina University for the past nine months, has agreed to continue in that role, according to an announcement by ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton today.

Hart's assignment to provide operational and strategic guidance for the department was initially set to expire Sept. 15 and was then extended until Dec. 15. Under the terms of this new agreement, his appointment will now run through Dec. 15, 2019.

In the coming year, Hart will focus on athletic department revitalization and development strategies, including fundraising, building external relationships and promoting the general well-being of the university and athletics.

"We are grateful that Dave has agreed to continue his work with ECU," Staton said. "His insight and evaluation of our athletics program provided us a better understanding of where we stand, and his knowledge of collegiate athletics today helped the search committee bring our new director of athletics Jon Gilbert and, in turn, our new head football coach Mike Houston to campus. I look forward to continuing our momentum of progress into – and through – the coming year."

Hart will serve as special advisor to the chancellor and Gilbert on matters related to athletics, including the Pirate Club, and university priorities. He will also assist in the transition of new leadership in athletics and attend Pirate Club Armada spring meetings along with the new AD and other athletic leaders.

Hart said, "I welcome the opportunity to continue to assist ECU through this role of special advisor to Chancellor Staton for athletics. Working with Chancellor Staton and others within the university and the athletics department has been very gratifying. I believe ECU is now positioned to move forward in a very positive and unifying direction under the leadership of Jon Gilbert. Any contribution I can make to this collective effort would be very special to me personally given my very strong feelings about ECU."

In addition to serving in an advising capacity for the chancellor and conducting an extensive assessment of every facet of the athletics department during the previous nine months, Hart, along with the chancellor, also led the search committee for the new athletics director. Hart, at the request of the chancellor, also led the men's basketball head coaching search which resulted in the hiring of Joe Dooley.

Hart has provided upgrade guidance for the recently-completed football locker and meeting rooms; sports medicine treatment and rehabilitation amenities; and serviceable equipment operations space in the Ward Sports Medicine Building. The student-athlete support improvements are the first phase of the Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Southside Renovation Project and remain ongoing with overall completion scheduled for the summer of 2019.

Hart first joined ECU's Athletics Department in 1983 and was named associate director of athletics for external relations and in 1985 was named executive director of the Pirate Club before serving as AD from 1987 to 1995. His career included top athletic administrative assignments at Florida State University, the University of Alabama and the University of Tennessee before announcing in August 2016 his plan to retire in the spring 2017. Hart currently owns his own consulting and advising firm, Athletics Legacy Partners LLC.

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