South Carolina's Eric Hyman has accepted an offer to become Texas A&M's new athletic director, said a person familiar with the move.
The person spoke to The Associated Press Friday on condition of anonymity because neither South Carolina nor Texas A&M has publically announced the move.
The 61-year-old Hyman has spent the past seven years as the Gamecocks' AD and is a former athletic director at TCU.
Texas A&M is officially joining the Southeastern Conference on Sunday after leaving the Big 12 and Hyman's experience in the SEC should help the Aggies make the transition.
During his tenure at South Carolina, the Gamecocks enjoyed an unprecedented level of athletic success. The baseball team under coach Ray Tanner won two national titles and played for a third before falling to Arizona at the College World Series earlier this month.
The football under coach Steve Spurrier reached its first SEC championship game in 2010 then won a program-record 11 games a year later.
The women's basketball team led by Dawn Staley returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time in nine years this past winter.
In one Hyman's final personnel moves, he lured successful Kansas State coach Frank Martin last March to revitalize a last-place basketball team.
Even when Hyman's athletic program made mistakes, he led the department back on top. The NCAA uncovered three major violations including failure to monitor the department because of violations in the football and track programs. However, the NCAA in handing down its final decision complemented Gamecock administrators for the thorough and above-board approach they took during the inquiry.
"They wanted to ask all the hard questions of all the right people," NCAA committee on infractions chairman Britton Banowsky said. "Even went beyond what the NCAA staff was doing. We see that less likely than we see the other approach."
Hyman briefly attended a Board of Trustees meeting and would not discuss Texas A&M. When asked about the job, the close-to-the-vest Hyman answered "You know how I'm going to respond."
University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides would not say Hyman had left.
"He hasn't said anything to me," Pastides said following the board meeting.
Hyman has overseen a revamping of Gamecock athletic facilities. He finished a $35.6 million Carolina Stadium baseball field that has helped that team's national rise. The football arena, Williams-Brice Stadium, has had new weight areas, training rooms and locker rooms complete. A $6.5 million video board is currently being installed in time for this fall. A $30 million tailgate area in what was formerly the state Farmer's Market across the street will also be finished by football season.
Hyman, though, won't get to enjoy the soon to be completed, $11.7 million coach's support building. The athletic department is poised to move out of its crumbling, old facility, nicknamed "The Roundhouse," in July.
Former Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne retired on May 8, a year before his contract would have expired. John Thornton has served as interim athletic director since Byrne's retirement.
The 66-year-old Byrne was hired at Texas A&M in December 2002 and the Aggies also saw unprecedented success and improvements in facilities during his tenure.
The school won 45 Big 12 championships in 13 different sports under his watch. Although he was the athletic director when Texas A&M decided to move to the SEC, he has said he was not involved in the final decision.
"Those are decisions that are made above my pay grade," Byrne said the day he announced his retirement. "My dad was a soldier, my mom was an Army nurse, and you're taught to salute and carry on. That's what we'll do."
Byrne was a vocal critic of the Longhorn TV network Texas and ESPN created, which was one of the factors that pushed A&M to seek a new conference home.
One of his biggest hires came in 2003 in women's basketball coach Gary Blair. Blair built the Aggies into a contender and led them to a national title in 2011.
The improvement in Texas A&M's basketball programs was also helped by the construction of a $26 million basketball practice facility that opened in 2008. The 68,000 square foot facility, which is used by the men and women, has two practice courts, a weight room and a player lounge.
Byrne was also proud of a $26 million renovation to the baseball stadium that was completed earlier this year.
Texas A&M developed into a powerhouse in indoor track in Byrne's time at the school and both the men's and women's teams picked up three straight national championships from 2009-11, and the Aggies also saw success in several other sports.
The football team wasn't able to keep pace with the other teams and was 58-54 in Byrne's time at the school. A 27-25 loss to archrival Texas on Thanksgiving capped a disappointing 6-6 regular season that came after the team entered the season with a top-10 ranking.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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