Florida International began a search for a new athletic director after Pete Garcia announced Wednesday that he is resigning following 15 years on the job.
Garcia is now a senior adviser to FIU President Mark Rosenberg, focusing on revenue generation and fundraising. Senior associate athletic director Heath Glick has taken over for Garcia overseeing the athletic department on an interim basis.
The school will likely want to move quickly on hiring someone permanently to lead the department — and decide how go to forward with football.
FIU coach Butch Davis is in the final year of his five-year contract. The Panthers stunned Miami 30-24 on Nov. 23, 2019, and have gone 1-15 since — the lone win in that span coming against lower-division Long Island University to open this season.
The Panthers have lost their five Conference USA games this season by a combined 222-97 score.
“I strongly believe that with the new structure in Conference USA, and current changing national landscape in college athletics, this is the right time for FIU to search for a new athletics director who will take FIU Athletics to the next level,” Garcia said in a message to staff.
Conference USA has seen nine schools leave in recent weeks for other conferences while bringing four other schools into the league to help take those places.
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