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Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick to Retire in 2024; Will Be Replaced by Pete Bevacqua

Tyler Conway

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick will retire in 2024 and be replaced by Pete Bevacqua, the university revealed Thursday.

"This is a dream come true," Bevacqua told Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated. "With the exception of my family, nothing means more to me than Notre Dame. I don't have a memory in my lifetime, quite literally, where Notre Dame wasn't a part of it. At this stage of my life, I feel like everything I've done has prepared me for this.

"I didn't have a burning desire, necessarily, to be an athletic director. I had a burning desire to be the athletic director at Notre Dame."

Swarbrick, 69, has served as Notre Dame's athletics director since 2008. He's overseen a turnaround in the Irish football program, which has had seven 10-win seasons during his tenure after only two 10-win seasons in the 15 years prior to his arrival.

The hiring of head coach Brian Kelly was a seminal moment for the program, as the Irish shuffled through the disappointing tenures of Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis before plucking Kelly from Cincinnati. Kelly left Notre Dame after the 2021 season and was replaced by Marcus Freeman, who went 9-4 in his first year with the program.

The Irish men's basketball program has also made eight NCAA tournament appearances during Swarbrick's tenure as athletics director, including back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2015 and 2016. The women's basketball program has also seen significant success, winning the 2018 national championship and reaching seven Final Fours.

"I feel great about where we are," Swarbrick said. "There's a sense that it's the appropriate time. It's important for Father John to make the selection of the next AD, because I don't know how much longer he's going to go."

Bevacqua currently serves as the chairman of NBC Sports. He previously served as the CEO of the PGA of America.

   

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