Troy University has selected Mobile native John Hartwell as its next athletic director, the school announced Wednesday. Hartwell will be formally introduced at a press conference scheduled for Friday.
Hartwell arrives at Troy, a Sun Belt Conference rival of South Alabama, from Ole Miss, where he has worked in the athletic department for the past nine years. He is in his third year as Ole Miss’ senior executive associate athletic director, the No. 2 administrative position in the Rebels’ athletic department.
Replacing Steve Dennis
Hartwell succeeds Steve Dennis, who resigned earlier this year, in his eighth year as Troy’s athletic director, to pursue other career opportunities.
Former South Alabama athletic director Joe Gottfried is among those in the region who have known Hartwell for years.
From Accounting to Athletics
Hartwell graduated from The Citadel in 1987 and spent more than four years as a certified public accountant with Ernst & Young. In 1991 he returned to The Citadel as director of internal audit, a post he held for three years. During that time he also served as color commentator for basketball broadcasts on the Citadel Network.
From 1994 to 1997, Hartwell was chief financial officer for a beverage distributor on the South Carolina coast.
Georgia State and Ole Miss
Hartwell began his career in athletics administration in 1997 at Georgia State, where he was hired as assistant athletic director for business. He was promoted in 1999 to associate athletic director for internal affairs.
At Georgia State, his duties expanded beyond oversight of the department’s finances to include sport supervision of baseball, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s track and field and cross country. He also oversaw athletic facilities and game management. Hartwell earned a master’s degree in sports administration while working at Georgia State.
He later joined the Ole Miss athletic department, where he has spent the last nine years and rose to senior executive associate athletic director.
Introduction Set for Friday
Troy will introduce Hartwell as its new athletic director at Friday’s press conference. He takes over a Trojans department that competes alongside South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference.
