Gene Smith's Ohio State salary: How much money did the AD earn? 

Gene Smith is the current athletic director for Ohio State but recently announced that he will retire in June 2024.

Smith was hired in April 2005 to be the Buckeyes' Athletic Director. Before being hired by Ohio State, he led the athletics department for Arizona State, Iowa State, and Eastern Michigan.

Smith signed a four-year extension with Ohio State in 2021 until 2026. The deal paid him $1.58 million in salary and another $480,000 in annual supplemental compensation for media, promotions, and public relations, bringing his yearly salary to over $2 million.

Smith also negotiated other bonuses into his contract, including Ohio State winning the Big Ten title, reaching the College Football Playoff or a New Year's Six game, and the national championship game. Those bonuses were of $20k, $35k, and $50k respectively.

The final bonus in Gene Smith's contract was for student-athletes GPA. Reports indicated that his contract said that if Buckeye student-athletes have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, he'll receive a $55,000 bonus, increasing to $75,000 for a GPA of at least 3.3 and $90,000 for at least a 3.5.

Gene Smith announces his retirement

Although Gene Smith was under contract through 2026, he announced on Wednesday that he would retire on June 30, 2024.

"I have always believed that a leader seeks to be the right person at the right time in the life of the institution," Smith said. "I believe that July 2024 is the right time to welcome new leadership to build upon what we have achieved and continue to build upon the great tradition of excellence in athletics and business advancement at Ohio State. I am forever grateful."

Smith was the third-longest serving AD in Ohio State history.

Who will be the new Ohio State AD?

With Gene Smith still assuming the role for the next 11 months, Ohio State has time to find his replacement.

The Buckeyes AD position will be among the more highly-sought after jobs in all college athletics. Smith also announced on Wednesday that the next Ohio State president would pick his replacement.

However, some reporters already believe the list of potential candidates includes current college ADs who worked under Smith and at Ohio State. Those include UCLA's Martin Jarmond, Pitt's Heather Lyke, Washington State's Pat Chun, and Utah State's Diana Sabau.