The Ohio State football team is gearing up for what could be a special season in 2024. The Buckeyes are bringing back a plethora of their key players from this year's team, and they have their sights set on winning a national championship. Ohio State came close to making the College Football Playoff and winning the Big Ten this past season, but they fell just short in their final regular season game against Michigan, causing them to miss out. Now, the Buckeyes are reloading so that they don't let it happen again, and they will also have a new athletic director leading the way.
Ross Bjork will be the new athletic director for the Buckeyes, the school announced, and he should experience a fun season of Ohio State football in his first year.
“Few athletics directors have established such an impressive and strong record of success in athletics, in the classroom and throughout the community,” Ohio State president Walter Carter said. “The bar is incredibly high at Ohio State, and we have found in Ross a highly intelligent and effective leader – not to mention a fierce competitor.”
Ross Bjork was previously the AD at Texas A&M, and he had a successful career there. He was able to get some good coaches for the Aggies, and Ohio State is confident that he will be able to do the same for them and be a good leader for their exceptional athletic program.
“The college athletics landscape is changing each day, and Ohio State was firmly committed to finding an athletics director who would lead us with confidence and innovative thinking into the future,” Board of Trustees chair Hiroyuki Fujita said. “Ross Bjork possesses all the qualities we had envisioned – and more – and I am thrilled to welcome him to our Buckeye family.”
Ohio State needed a new athletic director after Gene Smith announced that he would be retiring. Smith discussed the new hire, and he sounds confident that Bjork will continue to lead the Buckeyes to excellence in athletics.
“Ross is uniquely equipped to step into our Buckeye community and make an immediate impact,” Smith said. “As I have said, Ohio State has afforded me the professional opportunity of a lifetime, and I am forever grateful. My final, important project over the next several months will be to work with Ross to ensure a smooth and effective transition with our student-athletes, coaches, department staff and university leaders.”
This university demands excellence when it comes to athletics, and especially when it comes to Ohio State football. Bjork knows that this is an incredible opportunity and an incredible challenge for him in his career.
“I have been extraordinarily blessed to be a product of college athletics as a student athlete and fortunate to work with so many outstanding student-athletes, coaches, staff and university leaders throughout my career, and Ohio State represents the culmination of these efforts,” Bjork said. “To be a part of Buckeye Nation, along with its storied traditions and long history of achievement, is a tremendous honor and a welcome challenge for me and our family. I can’t wait to get started.”
It seems like Ohio State made a good hire for their new athletic director position. It's a big change for the Buckeyes to not have Gene Smith in that position, but it sounds like they found the right replacement.