Gene Smith is in his fifth year as director of athletics at The Ohio State University. He was named to his current position on March 5, 2005. On March 17, 2008, Gordon Gee, president of The Ohio State University, promoted Smith to university assistant vice president/director of athletics and he has since been named associate vice president/director of athletics.

Smith is the eighth person to hold the athletics director position at Ohio State and the first African-American to do so. He previously served as director of athletics at Arizona State, Iowa State, and Eastern Michigan Universities, and is entering his 24th year in the role.

At Ohio State, the 53-year old Smith oversees one of the nation's largest and most successful college athletic programs. The Buckeyes have 36 fully-funded varsity sports and more than 1,000 student-athletes. The department of athletics is completely self supporting and receives no university funds, tax dollars or student fees. In fiscal year 2008-09, the department transferred nearly $26 million in assessments to the university, including more than $13 million in grant-in-aid reimbursement. In Smith's first three years at Ohio State, the department of athletics finished in the black financially and increased its reserve fund.

Upon arriving at Ohio State, Smith quickly established himself as a respected and thoughtful leader, both within the university and the community. In the spring of 2007, he unveiled a five-year strategic plan, reflecting the department's goals and values. The strategic planning process, inclusive of the entire department, emphasized the development of the total student-athlete.

Under Smith's leadership, The Ohio State Department of Athletics was honored in the spring of 2008 with the Diversity in Athletics Award in the category of Overall Excellence in Diversity. Smith accepted the honor at the 43rd annual National Association of College Directors of Athletics Convention in Dallas.

Shortly after Ohio State was honored as a department for its dedication to diversity, Smith was individually recognized for his contribution to the sport of football.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, announced in June of 2008 the recipients of the NFF's 2008 Major Awards. Smith was honored officially Dec. 9, 2008 in New York with the John L Toner Award. Presented annually, the Toner Award is given to a director of athletics who has demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football.

Smith was recently appointed to the Governing Board of Trustees of the Lincoln Theatre Association. He was named to the position by the Franklin County (Ohio) Board of Commissioners. It is a three-year appointment effective March 10, 2009.

Nationally, Smith is involved with USA Basketball as a member of the Finance & Audit Committee. That appointment was made March 25, 2009. The Finance & Audit Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Board regarding the organization's financial investments, reviewing independent auditors for USA Basketball and, if necessary, oversight, implementation and compliance with the USA Basketball Code of Ethics.

Smith has an exemplary record of national leadership and service. In 2007, he served as president of the Division 1-A Athletic Directors Association. He is entering his third year on the prestigious NCAA Men's Basketball Committee and was appointed chair of the committee for the 2010-11 academic year, with his term as chair beginning Sept. 1, 2010. Smith was recently named to the newly created Basketball Academic Enhancement Group, a 27-member panel charged with developing strategies to enhance academic performance and graduation rates in Division I men's basketball.

Smith is past president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and was that organization's first African-American president. He also has served on the NCAA Management Council, the NCAA Committee on Infractions, the NCAA Executive Committee, the NCAA Football Rules Committee, the President's Commission Liaison Committee, the NCAA Baseball Academic Enhancement Task Force, and the National Football Foundation Honors Court, among others.

In recognition of his service, Smith was named by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the "50 Most Powerful African American in College Sports." In 2007, he was named to NACDA's inaugural "Legends Class," and was also named Athletic Administrator of the Year by the Black Coaches Association (BCA). In 2002-03, he received NACDA's AD of the Year honors for the Division 1-A West Region.

Smith grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended the University of Notre Dame on a football scholarship. He played four years of football as a defensive end for the Irish and was a member of the 1973 Associated Press national championship team. Smith received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Notre Dame in 1977. Following graduation, he joined the Notre Dame coaching staff under Dan Devine and remained in that capacity until 1981. The 1977 Notre Dame team captured the undisputed national championship.

Smith left Notre Dame following the 1981 season to accept a marketing position with IBM. He returned to college athletics in April of 1983 as assistant athletics director at Eastern Michigan University. In 1985, he was appointed as interim director of athletics at Eastern, a position he held until 1986 when he became the director on a full-time basis.

In 1993, Smith was named director of athletics at Iowa State University. He moved to Arizona State as director of athletics in 2000.

As a former college athlete and coach, Smith is passionate about the well being of student-athletes. "We want to create an environment for our student-athletes to be successful academically, athletically and socially," he says. "The student-athlete experience provides teachable moments that prepare young women and men for success in life."

Smith is active in the Columbus community and is a member of the board of the YMCA of Central Ohio. He also is active with the Bell Center for African American males on Ohio State's campus.

Gene and his wife, Sheila, have four children: Matt, Nicole, Lindsey and Summer, and two grandchildren: Marshall and Steele. Sheila, a 1976 Canadian Olympian in basketball, holds a doctorate in higher education administration and is an associate vice president for development at Ohio State.