Big shakeup at the University of Louisiana at Monroe as Athletics Director John Hartwell announced his resignation after only 18 months on the job. Hartwell is responsible for several major hires, in particular football head coach Bryant Vincent, who led the Warhawks to a 5 and 1 start last season. Sean Fox, Sports Director at Sports Talk West Monroe, said Hartwell gained a lot of credibility from the Vincent hire.
“John for the most part has done a pretty good job obviously landing Bryant Vincent last year was a huge feather in his cap because he surpassed every single expectation in year number one and Bryant Vincent has kind of toasted the town,” Fox said.
Fox said Hartwell’s resignation comes as a surprise and an exact reason for his departure is unknown. He said ULM hired a new president in May, Doctor Carrie Castille, and it’s unknown if the two had a fall out.
“I know Carrie Castille is one of the most into athletic presidents they’ve had in a while. It did feel like they were on the upswing. That’s probably what makes the most surprising news because they were starting to make some progress in some areas they were behind,” Fox said.
ULM’s athletic budget is one of the smallest in the country among FBS schools and recently eliminated its women’s tennis program. Hartwell’s official statement explained that he was planning to pursue other professional opportunities. Fox said funding of ULM’s athletic department has been an issue for years.
“No matter who the president is, no matter who the AD is, there’s always going to be a debate on the budget. And the AD is always going to want more and the president is always going to want less and sometimes you have to meet in the middle. I don’t know if that’s the case here,” Fox said.
Hartwell’s next destination is a question, but some are speculating that he might return to Troy University, where he served as the Athletic Director from 2012 to 2015.
