Dan Radakovich Sends Farewell to Miami

The Miami Hurricanes are set for a new adventure this upcoming season. The athletics program is shifting towards the future, and that starts with the departure of current athletics director Dan Radakovich.

Under his watch, the Hurricanes programs have turned into some of the biggest brands in college sports.

Football has returned to one of the best places it has been in decades with his guidance alongside Mario Cristobal, and both basketball programs are looking towards the future with Elite Eight appearances and a Final Four with the men's team.

Now, in his own words, Radakovich expresses his gratitude towards the program and for where he is heading once he retires on June 1.

The Full Statement from Dan Radakovich

Last week the university announced that I will be retiring as Vice President and Director of Athletics effective June 1.

I depart with a deep sense of gratitude for the campus leaders that hired me, the staff that worked so tirelessly beside me, and our student-athletes who represented this institution with character and class as they pursued their athletic and academic dreams.

When I arrived more than four years ago, I never could have imagined the success we accomplished as a group. This past season, our football program made a historic run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game and created memories for our fanbase to last a lifetime. Who could forget March Madness in 2023, when our men’s basketball team reached its first Final Four, and women’s basketball advanced to its first Elite Eight. Five Hurricanes captured six NCAA individual national championships over those four years, further cementing Miami as a destination for developing elite Olympic athletes.

We also worked together to achieve amazing things in the classroom. Last year we matched our school record with an NCAA Graduation Success Rate of 94 percent. Last fall, our student-athletes set a department record for semester grade point average (3.40) and all 18 programs exceeded a 3.0 GPA for the first time in school history. The Hurricanes also captured the NCAA Team Works Community Service Competition in both 2022 and 2024.

Of course, supporters like you are a major reason why we have been able to have so much success on and off the field. We set fundraising records this year – more than $40 million raised with 10 seven-figure gifts — and this coming season have already shattered our record for football ticket sales. We will also soon open an expanded Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility that will help not only football but all of our student-athletes.

Serving the University of Miami again has been an absolute privilege. This place means everything to me, and I’m proud of what our student-athletes, coaches, staff – and Canes supporters — have accomplished together.

The program is in a great place, and it’s the right time for fresh leadership to shape what comes next. Brian Baptiste and Rachelle Paul will take over as co-leaders of the department during the search for my successor and I know they will do an outstanding job.

The best is yet to come for Miami Athletics and like all of you I will be cheering on the Canes everywhere I go!

Courtesy of Miami Athletics