Testimonials
Dave Hart is one of college athletics most dynamic and visionary leaders to have ever served the college athletics industry. His breadth of experiences have given him a thorough understanding of the nuances and complexities of major college athletics and the people who manage them. He is all about core values and operating with class and efficiency. Simply put, he is one of the very best in the business.
I am personally euphoric for my longtime colleague Dave Hart and his transition to the role of Executive Leadership Coach! To be sure, our profession will indeed be superbly served by Dave’s extraordinarily seasoned leadership, as well as his exceptionally skilled administrative expertise: not to mention proven innovative insight, entrepreneurial spirit and consummate vision.
Dave Hart Jr. brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that is well-earned through a spectacular 35 year career on campus. Dave's insights on organizational behavior, leadership, motivation and national influence will be truly impactful for any institution.
Dave Hart has always been a man with a mission, a man of influence and a man who promotes excellence; in himself and in those around him. Dave had an outstanding role model in his father, Dave Hart Sr.; football coach, athletic director and Southern Conference Commissioner. He has passed those values down to his son, Rick, current Athletic Director at SMU. Three generations representing some of the best schools in college athletics, in top leadership positions, provides a legacy of leadership, experience and passion. Dave’s unique and comprehensive depth of knowledge and wisdom gained in administration qualifies him as an expert in this arena of athletics beyond just about anyone else in the field.
I really enjoyed working closely with Dave Hart during the three years he and Pam were with us at the University of Alabama. He did a great job in his role here as our Executive Director of Athletics. Dave is a very highly thought of administrator, leader and person in the field of college athletics. I certainly share in that respect for Dave and know what a positive impact he can have on the people he works with in any organization.
There is not much that happens in college athletics that Dave Hart hasn’t already seen. Dave is a confidant to the stars because he has the experiences and relationships to draw upon that one only earns through so many years of sitting in that seat and serving so well.
Dave Hart is a visionary leader whose numerous contributions over a long and distinguished career at important institutions have had a profound impact on college athletics. Dave has always provided a unique perspective, sound judgment, insightful and innovative thinking, enthusiasm and an unwavering commitment to college athletics and to student-athlete well-being. Dave’s intelligence, administrative acumen, broad experience, integrity and capacity for friendship make him a terrific resource for those looking to navigate the immense challenges facing college sports and university athletic departments.
I have been in sports business for 40 years and Dave Hart is one of the classiest, knowledgeable and most respected people that I have had the pleasure to know and conduct mutually beneficial business.
Dave Hart has been a leader and role model in intercollegiate athletics for my entire career. I have always had a great admiration for his leadership style and communication skills. Dave always took the time to encourage and share with me on my professional journey. I was excited to learn about this exciting new opportunity that Dave is providing as we all focus to get better every day.
Dave Hart built a foundation for success by using his experience, strategic planning and vision to navigate the intricacies of intercollegiate athletics and higher education. Dave built champions in every phase of his career through his ability to lead and mentor others. He is an innovator and entrepreneur who set the precedent for today's leadership model in Athletic Administration. Dave stood behind his coaches and staff, building confidence in all through his ability to empower those he surrounded. I became a better coach and leader because of his influence as an administrator and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have served under Dave’s leadership.
Dave Hart convinced me to join him at Florida State University and it was the best professional decision I ever made. He lives his values and brings out the best in those who work WITH him, not FOR him. His ability to laser-focus and think out-of-the-box make him a terrific executive coach. I am the AD I am today because Dave challenged me to not settle for anything less than the best.
From very early in my career until today, Dave has been a constant source of guidance and support for me. His knowledge, his experience and his willingness to mentor me have proven to be a tremendous resource. He continues to be a great confidant and source of inspiration to me now.
Dave Hart is truly one of the most respected and knowledgeable administrators in collegiate athletics. At the Orange Bowl, we have had the pleasure of working closely with Dave over the years. His 35 years of experience at the highest levels, including leading athletic departments and hiring senior administrators and coaches, makes him uniquely qualified to help develop the next generation of leadership on college campuses.
Dave Hart hired me at Florida State in 1997 and provided me a clear path to success. When I arrived, the program hadn't had a winning season in 10 years. With Dave's support and direction, we went to four NCAA tournaments during his tenure. He lead our athletics program with meticulous attention to detail and all-encompassing organization. He had an overall vision and a plan. He executed a facilities makeover that changed the way we operated. His vision catapulted every athletic program at Florida State to new heights.
Dave Hart is a tireless leader and consummate professional. He has seen it all in his long and storied career on university campuses, and he has successfully faced the many challenges that have come his way. At Tennessee, Dave fostered a student-centered culture that was focused on the academic success of all of our students, full compliance with the labyrinth of national, conference, and campus regulations, and financial stewardship to protect the future of the university. These things are very important to me as a faculty member, and I was always grateful for Dave’s dependable commitment to our shared mission. He and his excellent leadership team delivered on all counts and certainly set us up for continued growth and success. Through his inclusive leadership style, Dave consistently empowered his staff to develop themselves professionally and to be fully responsible and accountable for the success of the entire operation. The expectations were always appropriately high, but his support and commitment were always strong. Dave’s legacy can be seen across the intercollegiate athletics landscape, both with his own family and also with the many emerging leaders who have gained from his mentorship over the years. I am grateful that he is continuing to provide leadership and share wisdom from his experiences through this new venture.
Managing a major intercollegiate athletics program is a complex, challenging task. Dave Hart's understanding of all dimensions of the process is truly exceptional. From building and maintaining financial strength to ensuring that athletic programs are in compliance with NCAA and conference rules, Dave Hart is the consummate professional. I served as a university president or chancellor for over twenty years. If I were to return to that role, Dave Hart is the one person I would try to hire.
Dave Hart is a builder. He builds programs and organizations better than anyone I have ever been around. What’s even more important, he builds relationships in a very genuine way. He makes people better and gets everybody on the same page. He’s one of the very best leaders I have ever met. When you go in to see Dave Hart, you had better be on time and prepared because, buddy, he sure will be.
Dave Hart is a creative and innovative leader. His leadership style is driven with a people-first approach. His vision to advance and build centers around student athletes, staff and peers. I've known Dave since I was the Director of Marketing at the University of Kentucky and The Ohio State and while we did not work directly on the same staff, we consulted, networked and advanced years of conversations about building, serving and empowering people to achieve at their best level. Dave will utilize his 35 years of experience to coach, assess and develop the next level of leaders. Dave knows how to challenge people to aim high and achieve inside competitive enterprise.
Dave has had an outstanding career in athletic administration and certainly knows the ins and outs of the business. He will be a tremendous resource and provide great insight and advice on any topic that might come across your desk. He will add significant value to any strategic team.
I have known Dave Hart since his remarkable tenure at East Carolina University. He is a Hall of Famer in athletics administration. He cares about the student athlete first and foremost and understands the challenges facing coaches, athletics directors and presidents in today’s environment. I am excited to know that he is going to be in a position to help others lead while leaving an ongoing legacy of leadership in the process.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, Dave Hart was the sole architect of my success as a student-athlete at Florida State University, and ultimately my career as an intercollegiate athletics administrator. As a student-athlete, Mr. Hart was supportive of all student-athletes and would be regularly visible throughout my career. He challenged all of us, coaches, student-athletes and staff to be the best versions of ourselves every day. Mr. Hart created a culture where student-athletes were always at the forefront of any decisions made and that permeated through my experiences with my coaches and support staff as a student-athlete. He saw leadership potential in me and took the time to mentor me and prepare me for life after sport. I was also fortunate enough to serve as the Chair of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council on campus and for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Within that role, I met with Mr. Hart on a regular basis to discuss the student-athlete experience and how the administration could position themselves to foster an environment of comprehensive excellence. Beyond my time as a student-athlete, Mr. Hart prepared me for a career after graduation. I will be forever grateful for how he treated me, my teammates, and my family. I approach my current role as a Senior level administrator with the same intention and passion he has for the personal development of the young men and women I serve.
Dave Hart has had an incredible career spanning more than three decades in intercollegiate athletics. His knowledge and experience working with high profile Coaches, Chancellors, Presidents and Boards of Trustees has provided him a wealth of knowledge on the successful integration of intercollegiate athletics into the overall university community. Whether you are a first-time University President or Athletics Director or a veteran in the chair, Dave’s informed perspective and years of experience will prove invaluable when navigating the rapidly changing world of intercollegiate athletics.
I have known Dave Hart since he was a three sports star at Annapolis High School. His competitive nature, leadership ability and work ethic have served him well throughout his outstanding career in athletic administration. He is a very highly respected professional within industry circles. I think it is exciting that he is going to utilize his experience and expertise to assist others within the profession.
Dave has a wealth of experience in intercollegiate athletics. He has held leadership positions on various levels throughout his career and gained valuable insight that he is ready to share to help others have successful careers.
Over the past three decades, I believe Dave Hart has established himself as one of the top 5 Athletics Directors who always kept the focus on the true purpose of serving and preparing student athletes as they pursue the extraordinary goals they set. For him to utilize these experiences as a former student athlete, coach and leader to help positively invest in the lives of others is very exciting and valuable. He will provide important perspectives to those seeking to strengthen their effectiveness guiding people and programs they serve.
I have been fortunate enough to have known Dave Hart for over a decade and have constantly been amazed by how genuine and approachable he is. As a student athlete at Alabama, his support was always appreciated and it was obvious how much he cared about the kids that played on the team. He really took the time to get to know us on a personal level and would make himself available at a moment’s notice for anyone that might encounter a problem. Dave is truly an asset to everyone and everything he comes in contact with. His career has been filled with success at every stop and I have no doubt that it will continue as he helps others grow and lead.
Intercollegiate athletics has morphed from two weekly Saturday afternoon television football broadcasts, to 24-hour news in the last 30 years and Dave Hart has been involved in a leadership position every step of the way. As a son of a football coach and athletics director, Intercollegiate Athletics has been ingrained in Dave’s DNA, starting as a student athlete and finishing his career in athletics administration as Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics. Dave’s experience in all aspects of intercollegiate athletics is a stellar one (coaching, fund raising, facilities enhancements, marketing, student athlete life skills) and he has excelled in each and every phase throughout his journey. My first experience with Dave was in the late 80’s where he was the youngest member of a volunteer faculty staff of athletics directors at NACDA’s Management Institute. Dave, as a lifelong learner, loved to teach and share experiences with his peers across the country. Through Dave’s remarkable journey in Intercollegiate Athletics, he positively impacted tens of thousands of individuals, student athletes, and other administrators and alumni at each institution he served. Through it all, Dave Hart has always been a man of integrity, who cared about the people he mentored.
During my tenure as Faculty Athletics Representative and Chair of the University Athletic Board, I became acquainted with many of the Athletic Directors around the country and knew of their reputations. As Chair of our Athletic Director Search Committee, I had the pleasure to assist in the recruitment of Dave Hart. When Dave was selected and came to Florida State I worked with him for 9 years. He brought a focus on developing leadership skills of his staff and building a department that supported student-centered programs. Dave welcomed input and involvement in recommending policies involving intercollegiate athletics. With his broad experience and national contacts, he will be a tremendous asset to universities and the leaders who serve them. He genuinely cares about people.
I’ll never forget my first official day as a Division I collegiate athlete. As I was sitting through our team meetings, nervous and distracted by the fact that preseason training was starting the next day, our athletic director Mr. Dave Hart entered the room. He purposefully took time out of his day to tell us that he believed in each and every one of us, that we were there for a reason and that he was confident we could accomplish great things. From that entire day of meetings, this was the one moment I remembered as I began to feel both excited and at ease knowing that my athletic director had unwavering faith in me. The support Mr. Hart had for all of the University of Tennessee Athletics programs was one of his defining qualities and was a reason he left a lasting impact on the lives of so many student-athletes. As I reflect on my past four years as a University of Tennessee soccer player, I am so grateful for the work Mr. Hart did to bring the athletic department together into a “One Tennessee” family. Through his innovative thinking and leadership, Mr. Hart gave Tennessee Athletics an important edge through the implementation of programs such as the VOLeader’s Academy and resources like UT Smokey’s Grill. As the head of a student-athlete centered athletic department, Mr. Hart ate lunch with various student-athletes, listening to the needs and wants of each team and individual. His visibility, mentorship and commitment to put the student-athletes first have allowed me to not only grow as a soccer player, but also a well-rounded individual and leader prepared to enter life after college athletics. I am forever thankful for Mr. Hart’s ability to unite an organization and provide growth for the individuals within it.
Dave Hart’s pursuit of excellence and willingness to take bold steps helped make the Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol college football’s biggest ever game. He truly is a visionary and his strong relationships with student-athletes, corporate sponsors and collegiate athletic leaders helped us create a winning combination that produced a unique Bowl championship game-type atmosphere at Bristol Motor Speedway that fans will forever cherish. From a personal standpoint, I enjoyed working with Dave because we could have open and honest conversations. Putting together an event of the magnitude of The Battle at Bristol is never an easy task, but I valued Dave’s tremendous experience and unwavering guidance and quickly realized he was a partner we could trust.
During my tenure as President at Florida State University, athletics became a first-tier issue for the University and selection of a new AD a critical priority. We conducted a very thorough nationwide search and selected Dave Hart, whose credentials were extraordinary. Dave turned his energies to improvements to the total program, paying particular attention to the disparities between our men’s and women’s sports. Dave recruited outstanding coaches, directed the construction of new facilities and created a culture that was compatible with that of the University. He paid attention to graduation rates and to the conduct of student-athletes. During his tenure, FSU took major strides in the Directors’ Cup and stability was established financially and among head coaching tenures. I have continued to follow Dave’s career and know that his reputation remains at the very top nationally. He remains an exceptional resource for coaches, athletics directors and presidents in an ever-changing athletic landscape.
Dave Hart has a rich background as an athletic administrator. He has a broad experience in making the tough decisions required to manage successful intercollegiate athletic programs, whether it be in addressing significant personnel issues or formulating sound budgetary decisions required to maintain the fiscal integrity of an athletic department. I believe his insight, knowledge and understanding of the culture of intercollegiate athletics could provide senior college and university administrators, at any level, a uniquely valuable source of guidance and counsel.
Dave Hart has served as a “student-athlete focused”, successful and innovative athletics administrator and leader at four major Universities: East Carolina University, Florida State University, University of Alabama and the University of Tennessee. At Tennessee, he dramatically improved the financial situation of the athletics department while producing a significant reserve fund. He launched a Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence that raised over $160 million in three years, exceeding the targeted goal. He hired good coaches, significantly improved compliance, and emphasized, “walking where the student athletes walk”. Under his leadership, academic performance of student athletes was markedly improved and ultimately reached all-time record levels. He negotiated a variety of significant contracts, which included the Battle at Bristol which drew over 157,000 fans. He planned and spearheaded notable enhancements to athletics facilities such as: the Doug Dickey Hall of Champions, the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio, the Hall of Fame Plaza and led the efforts to create the Pat Summit Plaza which was dedicated while Pat was still alive. Virtually every sport experienced dramatic improvements to their facilities during his tenure. In addition, a comprehensive plan to renovate Neyland Stadium was developed, approved by the Board of Trustee and is now being implemented. Dave hired “Difference Makers” in athletics in numerous areas and led the University off of a 6 year NCAA probation period which stemmed from issues in football and basketball prior to his tenure. During his tenure, the athletics department excelled in several important areas. I highly recommend him as an Executive Coach and Advisor to Chancellors, Presidents, Athletic Directors, Board of Trustees, and others. He has a wealth of expertise in both the athletic arena as well as knowledge about campus environments, culture and the academic enterprise. He has the knowledge, experience and insight to help leaders successfully navigate difficult situations and produce positive results.
Dave Hart Jr. has few rivals in terms of leading Division I intercollegiate athletics programs. From serving as the athletics director at East Carolina, to Florida State, to the University of Tennessee, to his leadership role at the University of Alabama and the ACC along the way, Dave intimately knows the landscape and challenges of Division I sports. Dave brings extensive experience in implementing student-athlete support programming, building competitive athletics teams, hiring successful coaches, and helping integrate athletics programs into the campus community. Many young men and women benefited from Dave’s leadership in providing them with quality academic and athletic experiences. Dave’s leadership has repeatedly been recognized by his colleagues, including serving as the President of NACDA and serving on its Executive Committee. He has also been recognized for outstanding leadership and service as the James J Corbett Memorial Award winner, which is NACDA’s highest award. Dave cares deeply about the value and importance of intercollegiate athletics for young people and its impact on the broader campus community. We have all benefited from Dave devoting his professional life to helping young people through sport.
I had the distinct pleasure of working with Dave Hart early in his career as an athletics director. I was impressed by his commitment to working cooperatively with university academic leaders in stressing the balance between the academic and athletic success of our student athletes. Dave exhibited a wisdom well beyond his years, an ability to nurture both staff and students, and the capacity to advance the university as a compelling spokesperson. He is high on my list of outstanding colleagues with whom I have had the pleasure to serve.
Dave Hart is an outstanding leader in college sports and his advice and counsel has been invaluable to the LEAD1Association. His experience and knowledge have been a tremendous resource for us.
I have known Dave Hart for over two decades and consider him to have had a great impact on modern college athletics. In addition to having the highest character, the insights and strategies Dave has developed from a storied career are invaluable.
Dave Hart and I crossed paths professionally literally three decades before we actually had a chance to work closely together. In fact, he was a part of my very first head coaching job interview. We later crossed paths again during our time in the ACC. I always had a sense that Dave was very sharp and a good administrator, but it wasn’t until I was fortunate enough to be hired by him at Tennessee that I truly understood how great he is as an administrator. His understanding of college athletics is as broad and expansive as anyone I’ve been around. He understands what really matters and where energy and resources are best spent. More importantly, he and Pam are kind-hearted and genuine people who care deeply about helping others.
Dave Hart’s extensive experience leading major intercollegiate athletics programs provides him a unique ability to assist current and future leaders. Dave’s background, combined with his interest in supporting the development of leaders, contributing to program assessments, and engaging through the provision of practical guidance and coaching all combine to offer a key resource for any individual or program interested in meeting emerging challenges, preparing for the future and enhancing their focus on student-athletes.
