Auburn University to hire Buffalo Athletic Director Allen Greene

The University at Buffalo will be on the search for a new director of athletics as current athletic director Allen Greene will make his way to Auburn University for the same job, replacing Jay Jacobs.

Greene followed former Buffalo athletic director Danny White to Amherst after a stint at Ole Miss as a senior associate athletics director in 2012. White assigned him as his deputy director and helped a now-retracted branding effort that sought to place UB on the same level as other top college athletic departments.

Near the end of 2015, Greene took over the top job in UB’s athletic department when White was hired away to the University of Central Florida’s athletic department. The biggest accomplishment of Greene’s administration was finally carrying out plans and breaking ground for a field house to improve the football program. Many of UB’s programs are experiencing continued success since he was appointed.

The move comes less than a year since navigating through the decision to cut four intercollegiate programs, which saw criticism from the UB community. Greene’s administration has also drawn criticism from fans for a lack of transparency and ample communication.

Although this hiring is all but wrapped up, Greene still needs approval from the Auburn board of trustees.

The open job in Buffalo is the best it’s been since the return to Divison I era began in mid-1990’s. Whoever takes over the department has a lot to look forward to, especially in revenue sports like Football and Men’s Basketball. It’ll be interesting if the University picks another continuity hire or goes outside of the department.