Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs resigned suddenly Friday afternoon, ending the stint of the athletic director with the longest continuous tenure within the Big Ten.
Hobbs will be replaced on an interim basis by deputy athletic director Ryan Pisarri as the school begins a search for a permanent replacement.
Hobbs’ resignation note, which was distributed internally at Rutgers, referenced his health and a recent meeting with his “cardiac team.”
“After meeting with my cardiac team this week and having just been apprised of the results of my latest round of testing, it is clear that I can not continue to serve as Athletic Director given the requirements of the position,” Hobbs wrote in an email to school president Jonathan Holloway. “I recognize this is not the ideal timeframe to depart, however other factors need to take precedence.”
Hobbs had been under contract through 2028.
“I want to thank Pat for his remarkable nine-year tenure at Rutgers, during which we have seen our men’s and women’s teams become leaders and successfully compete in the Big Ten, both on and off the field,” Holloway said in a message to university leaders. “I have asked Ryan Pisarri, deputy athletic director and chief of staff, to serve as interim Director of…