Boston College hires Ohio State's Martin Jarmond as athletic director

Ohio State deputy athletic director Martin Jarmond is the strong front-runner to become Boston College's athletic director, replacing Brad Bates.

Ohio State’s Martin Jarmond has finalized a deal to become Boston College's next athletic director, according to multiple sources. Boston College announced Jarmond’s hiring later on Thursday. He will replace Brad Bates, who announced a career transition to a consultant as his contract neared expiration at the university.

Jarmond is the deputy athletic director at Ohio State, where his duties include being the sport administrator for the Buckeyes football program. The 37-year-old is considered one of the country’s sharpest young administrators. He brings an extensive background in both football and fundraising from stints at Ohio State and Michigan State.

Jarmond is well known in athletics circles as Gene Smith’s trusted top lieutenant. He’s been regarded highly enough that he got long looks at recent openings at both Syracuse and Mississippi State. He was recently named one of the Forty Under 40 by the Sports Business Journal. Jarmond will become the youngest athletic director at the Power 5 level.

At Ohio State, Jarmond’s roles include overseeing internal and external business and development operations. He also serves as the sport administrator for men’s basketball, baseball and golf, along with oversight of the football program.

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Jarmond inherits a tenuous situation at Boston College, which finds itself lagging in budget, facilities and in the standings behind many of its peers in the ACC. Jarmond’s biggest task projects to be modernizing and energizing the athletic department, which has receded from the sports landscape in Boston in recent years.

Jarmond came up in athletic administration through fundraising, as he joined Ohio State in 2009 as the associate athletic director for development. In seven years as a fundraiser at Michigan State, he helped set fundraising records in each year.

Jarmond also a strong athletic résumé. He walked on the basketball team at UNC Wilmington and ended up a team captain. He helped lead the Seahawks to the 2000 NCAA tournament.