COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina will hire TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati as its new AD, a person with knowledge of the decision said Wednesday.
The university's Board of Trustees scheduled a meeting for Thursday, when Donati's hiring will become official, the person said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the school has yet to announce the hiring.
Donati will take over for long-time South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner, who announced in September he was moving to a different role as special advisor to university President Michael Amiridis when his successor was selected.
The university said that following the trustees' meeting at football’s Williams-Brice Stadium, there would be a press conference with Amiridis about an “important athletics announcement.”
When Tanner made his choice to leave public, Amiridis said he wanted an athletic director who had experience. Donati certainly fits that bill.
Donati was named TCU's athletic director in December 2017. During his tenure, TCU's football team played in the national championship game, where it was beaten by Georgia in 2022.
Donati will take over a South Carolina athletic program that is excelling in many areas.
Dawn Staley and the Gamecock women's basketball team are coming off their third national title since 2017. The men's basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in seven years.
And the South Carolina football team went 9-3 after six straight victories, including last Saturday's 17-14 victory over rival Clemson.
The 47-year-old Donati has been with TCU since 2011. Horned Frog athletics had one of its most successful seasons in 2022-23. Along with the football team reaching the College Football Playoff title game, men's basketball advanced to the NCAA Tournament and baseball played in the College World Series.
That season, 10 of TCU's 21 sports were ranked in the national top 25.
Before coming to TCU, Donati was with Leigh Steinberg Sports and Entertainment as general counsel and director of player representation. He has also worked at college fundraising positions at Arizona, Washington State and Cal Poly.
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