Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah State has reportedly hired its new athletic director nine months after John Hartwell's abrupt resignation and less than four weeks before the Aggies' 2023 football season opener.
ESPN's Pete Thamel first reported Monday, and the university confirmed, that Utah State is hiring Big Ten deputy commissioner Diana Sabau as the Aggies' next athletic director, succeeding Hartwell and interim director Jerry Bovee.
The search for a new AD was delayed due to university president Noelle Cockett's resignation not becoming official until July 1, when new president Elizabeth Cantwell was able to take over and make the crucial hire.
The resignations of Hartwell and Cockett came just days after former Utah State football player Patrick Maddox filed a lawsuit against head football coach Blake Anderson and the university in October 2022, claiming retaliation from coaches and teammates after he distributed a recording from a team meeting that, according to court documents, "highlighted the problematic manner in which USU handles conversations about sexual harassment and assault."
The lawsuit was settled last month for $150,000.
Sabau served as senior deputy athletic director and football administrator at Ohio State University before beginning her role with the Big Ten in 2021.
During her four years as sport administrator for Ohio State football, the team won four consecutive Big Ten championships and made multiple appearances in the College Football Playoff.
She was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and earned a bachelor's degree from St. Bonaventure University and a master's in sports administration from Ohio University.
The Aggies begin their 2023 football campaign on Sept. 2 in Iowa City, Iowa, against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
