Gene Smith (athletic director)

Eugene "Gene" Smith is the athletic director for the Ohio State University. He was named the university's eighth athletic director on March 5, 2005. Prior to his tenure at Ohio State, he served as athletic director for Arizona State, Eastern Michigan, and Iowa State. He oversees one of the biggest athletics program in the country, with 36 varsity sports and more than 900 student athletes. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame where he was recruited to play football for the Fighting Irish. He was the first member of his family to receive a University degree.

He was also identified as one of Black Enterprise's "50 most powerful African-Americans in sports". He has previous affiliations with the NCAA Management Council, the NCAA committee on Infractions, the Rose Bowl Management Committee, and the NCAA Football Rules Committee. Smith was named to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Committee in 2006 and became the chair in 2010.