After less than two years, Southern Miss has lost its Director of Athletics. Jon Gilbert, who was hired in January 2017, left Southern Miss to take the same position at East Carolina University.
Southern Miss will now look to hire its second athletics director in two years, as Bill McGillis took the University of San Diego AD position days after Southern Miss’ New Orleans bowl win in December 2016. McGillis was hired in July 2013, so this will be the third time in less than six years Southern Miss will get a new Director of Athletics.
Gilbert was rumored for ECU’s new AD position, and reports started to come out Sunday he would be named the new Director of Athletics. It was made official Monday.
Also on Monday, Gilbert announced the hiring of Mike Houston moments after ECU’s board of trustees approved Gilbert’s hiring. While at Southern Miss, Gilbert did not hire a coach in one of the three major sports.
Gilbert will rejoin his former boss at Tennessee Dave Hart, who is East Carolina’s special advisor to the chancellor of athletics. Gilbert also played college football in North Carolina at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C.
Gilbert received a five-year contract from East Carolina, according to the Associated Press.
The Southern Miss football team also received a blow Sunday. With a 6-5 record, the Golden Eagles were not selected to participate in a bowl game this season. It’s the first time since the 2014 season Southern Miss will not play in a bowl game.
Conference USA had seven teams bowl eligible, but Southern Miss was the only one not selected.
