TROY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
JOHN HARTWELL Director of Athletics 2nd Year The Citadel ‘87 Hartwell came to Troy following nine years at the University of Mississippi where he was the senior executive associate athletics director, serving as the number two administrator in athletics. “At the end of the day, our vision is a constant commitment to a maximum effort for three things,” Hartwell said at his introductory press conference. “Academic excellence, positive social development and winning championships.” Introduced as Troy University’s new athletic director on Oct. 1, 2012, John Hartwell has already laid the groundwork for the future of Troy Athletics. In his brief time at Troy, Hartwell, 48, has spearheaded the beginning of several upgrades to Troy’s athletic facilities. The Troy golf program broke ground on an six-hole, on-campus practice facility that will also include a stateof-the-art clubhouse. Troy will soon break ground on an overhaul of the Troy Softball Complex and a renovation of the Lunsford Tennis Complex is scheduled in the near future. Alongside football head coach Larry Blakeney and former Trojan Lawrence Tynes, Hartwell unveiled to the Trojan Nation “The Future of Troy Athletics” with the breathtaking North End Zone Project for Veterans Memorial Stadium. The building, which is estimated to cost between $25-28 million, will catapult Troy to the forefront of the arms race in college football. In his first year as athletic director, Troy’s baseball team won the Sun Belt Conference title and advanced to the regional final of the Tallahassee Regional after defeating Alabama twice. Nicolo Bolla earned All-America honors in the hammer throw, Danny Collins and Logan Pierce were both named to baseball All-America teams, and Tyler Vaughn was named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team. Troy’s overall APR score began to trend upwards during Hartwell’s first year in leadership. Additionally, a record number of Troy student-athletes earned a 3.0 gradepoint-average during the 2012-13 academic year. Hartwell also hired one of the bright young minds in college basketball in Phil Cunningham to guide the men’s basketball program following the retirement of legendary head coach Don Maestri.
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Hartwell served as the treasurer and chief operating officer of the University of Mississippi Athletic Association Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization that generates over $17 million annually for the Ole Miss Athletics Department through priority seating and major gifts. He was responsible for the day-to-day administrative oversight of the football, men’s basketball and baseball programs, along with sport oversight of the softball and men’s and women’s track & field and cross country programs. Hartwell also oversaw the Rebels’ business office, ticket office, equipment room, merchandise sales, concessions and football scheduling. Hartwell has scheduled several marquee football games for the Rebels including a home-and-home series with Texas beginning this season. Hartwell managed the growth of the Ole Miss athletic budget from $26 million in the 2003 fiscal year to over $47 million in the 2012 fiscal year. He also chaired the search to hire men’s basketball head coach Andy Kennedy in 2006. He was heavily involved in negotiations that increased revenues with contracts for apparel and footwear (Nike), merchandise sales (Sports Avenue/LIDS), concessions (Centerplate), wireless provider (C Spire) and video boards (Daktronics). He served on the Southeastern Conference Ticket Committee and was a leader of the annual SEC Chief Financial Officers Forum. A 1987 graduate of The Citadel, Hartwell spent four-plus years as a certified public accountant
with Ernst & Young before returning to his alma mater to serve as the director of internal audit in 1991. In his three years working at The Citadel, Hartwell also was the basketball color commentator for the Citadel Network. From 1994 to 1997 he was in private business as the chief financial officer for a $36 million beverage distributor on the South Carolina coast. Hartwell’s direct experience in athletics administration began as the assistant athletic director for business at Georgia State in 1997. He was promoted to associate athletic director for internal affairs in 1999, and his responsibilities expanded to include sport supervision for baseball, men’s & women’s golf, men’s & women’s track & field and cross country. He also had oversight over the Panthers’ athletic facilities and game management in addition to his previous responsibilities of all financial aspects of the department. He also was the color analyst for men’s basketball on the Georgia State Radio Network for the first three years he was at GSU. While at Georgia State, Hartwell earned a master’s degree in sports administration. Athletics has always been a big part of Hartwell’s life, starting in high school where he was an all-state basketball selection at UMS-Wright in Mobile, Ala. The 6-foot-7 forward played alongside current North Carolina State head coach Mark Gottfried in high school. Hartwell went on to play collegiately at The Citadel, where he was a three-year starter, a four-year letterman and captain of the team as a senior in 1987. Current Tulane head coach Ed Conroy was a collegiate teammate of Hartwell’s. Hartwell is married to Dr. Heather Seale Hartwell, and they have two daughters Lauren, who is four years old, and Madison who is one year old. Hartwell also has a 21-year old son, Hunter, who is a junior at Vanderbilt.