Report: Texas A&M's Ross Bjork Top Target for Ohio State Athletic Director

The Texas A&M Aggies will need to target a new athletic director in the coming weeks, with Ross Bjork now expected to head to Ohio State.

Texas A&M hired a new head football coach in December following a six-year run under Jimbo Fisher. 

The Aggies now will likely need to hire a new athletic director entering February. 

According to ESPN, Ohio State has targeted A&M AD Ross Bjork for its open athletic director position. The deal is not finalized but is expected to be completed in the coming days. 

Hired away from Ole Miss in 2019 following the departure of Scott Woodward to LSU, Bjork was influential in building his own culture in College Station with his staff members. Several of his most significant moves include the hiring of Jim Schlossnagle (baseball), Joni Taylor (women's basketball), Trisha Ford (softball), Jamie Morrison (volleyball), Gerrod Chadwell (women’s golf), and Brian Kortan (men’s golf). 

Bjork was also influential in the lucrative contract extension handed out to Fisher in 2021 amid the rumors of the LSU opening. Coming off a 9-1 finish with a top-five ranking in the AP Poll, the Aggies upped Fisher's annual salary to $9 million while extending him through the 2031 season. 

Fisher, who was fired after going 19-15 in his final three seasons, will be owed $77 million of his buyout through the end of the contract, making it the largest contract buyout in league history. 

Bjork was also at the forefront of hiring Duke's Mike Elko, though it came with hiccups. Before Elko was named Fisher's replacement, rumors began swirling that the Aggies had targeted Kentucky's Mark Stoops for the open position. 

After vehement backlash on message boards from the fan base, it was announced that Stoops would remain in Lexington. The Aggies would pivot to Elko and name him head coach a day later.

"Over the last two weeks, when we engage with up to 30 different coaches at varying different levels? Some were in person, some were Zoom, some were calls, some were through third parties, etc.? There’s going to be a lot of moving parts," said Bjork following Elko's hire. “As President [Mark] Welsh said, one of the things he learned going through this – it ain’t over ’til it’s over. We wanted to make sure we engaged with our final group of candidates as long as possible.

“I respect Coach Stoops. He has been in the SEC a long time. I appreciate his statement.”

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Under Bjork's watch, A&M's athletic department generated the seventh-most revenue in the NCAA during the 2022-23 academic year, according USA TODAY. Since the approval of name, image and likeness, the Aggies have been one of the more aggressive schools in securing talent with NIL backing from boosters. 

In 2022, the Aggies finished with the No. 1 recruiting class in recruiting history, securing the commitments of eight five-star talents and 20 four-stars. 

Prior to his arrival in College Station, Bjork served as the athletic director at Ole Miss (2012-19) and Western Kentucky (2010-12). He also served as an assistant athletic director at Missouri (2001-03),  Miami (FL) (2003-05) and UCLA (2005-10). 

A graduate from Emporia State University in 1995, Bjork earned a bachelor's degree in recreation administratio and playd for the Hornets' football program, where he was a two-year starter at fullback. In 1996, he earned a Master of Science in athletics administration from Western Illinois University.

The Buckeyes will replace Gene Smith, who announced in August he would be retiring in July of 2024 following the 2023-24 athletic year. Smith has been the Buckeyes’ athletic director since 2005.