The University of Miami is moving toward a major shake-up in its athletic department, with longtime athletic director Dan Radakovich preparing to step aside after weeks of internal talks, according to multiple sources. The timing is striking: the Hurricanes are still riding a wave of national buzz from recent postseason success, and control of the department now appears set to pass to an executive cut from the sports-business world.
Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported Friday that Radakovich is planning to announce his retirement and that Miami and its AD are working on an exit agreement that could keep him around in a consulting capacity for a while. That early report and the subsequent briefing to trustees were echoed elsewhere, and the school declined immediate comment, as reported by Saturday Down South.
UM Zeroes In On A Deal-Maker
The university has zeroed in on Michael Yormark, a business-side power broker with deep South Florida ties, and sources say Yormark has been offered the athletic director job. As reported by The Miami Herald, some trustees were told only that Radakovich planned to retire and were not informed that Yormark is the preferred successor.
Yormark's Business Chops
UM officials and key donors have made it clear they want a leader who can thrive in the modern money game of college sports: multimedia rights, sponsorships and the chaotic new world of NIL partnerships. Yormark's resume on the business side of Roc Nation and his experience in professional sports operations are viewed internally as a major selling point. Industry coverage has highlighted the same traits as reasons nontraditional candidates are suddenly in demand at big-time college programs, as Sports Business Journal has noted in discussing his profile in other AD searches.
Radakovich's Run And The Hand-Off
Radakovich, 67, arrived in Coral Gables in December 2021 and presided over a stretch that featured a men's Final Four in 2023, a women's Elite Eight that same year, multiple individual NCAA champions and a school-record graduation success rate. The university's athletics site lays out his hires, fundraising wins and facilities upgrades and notes his 2026 NACDA recognition, all of which help explain why Miami appears intent on managing this transition carefully; see University of Miami Athletics.
What Comes Next
Sources say a formal announcement on Radakovich's future and the department's next move is expected next week, while the finer points of any buyout and advisory role are still being hammered out. Local coverage has framed the likely hiring of a deal-focused executive as part of a broader evolution in college athletics leadership, as The Miami Herald reports.
