Maryland has hired Jim Smith as its new athletics director, the school announced Thursday, tapping an Atlanta Braves executive with Big Ten Conference ties to lead the department through a new era in college sports.

Smith previously served as the senior vice president of business strategy for the Atlanta Braves. A Northwestern and Ohio State graduate with experience in college athletics, the NFL and Major League Soccer, Smith will take over the post vacated in March by former AD Damon Evans.

“We are proud of the athletics tradition here at the University of Maryland and of the accomplishments of our coaches and student-athletes who represent the red, black, white and gold,” Maryland school president Darryll J. Pines said in a release. “As college athletics rapidly evolves, Jim brings valuable administrative and business experience, plus the energy, vision and passion to lead our athletics program to new levels of success and impact.”

In his five years with the Braves, Smith focused on implementing “innovative business, brand, marketing and communications strategies to drive revenue, engagement and membership growth,” according to Maryland.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

From 2016 to 2020, Smith was the president and chief executive officer of the Ohio State University Alumni Association, one of the world’s largest alumni associations. He oversaw a $17 million budget and an 80-person team and helped drive 10% annual revenue growth in two years and 15% increase in alumni participation, according to Maryland.

Smith also served as an executive for Arthur M. Blank Sports & Entertainment, overseeing revenue and marketing for the Atlanta Falcons and MLS franchise Atlanta United as well as the design and development of the $1.6 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium project.

“It is a great honor to be chosen to lead the athletics department at the University of Maryland and to guide UMD’s storied programs into the next era,” said Smith, who will officially take over for interim athletic director Colleen Sorem on July 15. “I am highly motivated to build upon excellence and lead Maryland forward in a dynamic and pivotal time for intercollegiate athletics, with a sharp focus on student-athlete health, well-being and academic success.”

Smith comes to College Park with a reputation for revenue generation at a time when the department’s spending power has come under scrutiny. Smith’s predecessor, Evans, left for the same job at Southern Methodist, a school with a generous booster base that has helped drive facility upgrades and name, image and likeness deals for student-athletes.

Former Terps men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard left for Villanova last month after a Sweet 16 run and a public push for more support for the program. Maryland, along with other “power conference” schools stepping into the era of revenue sharing, will allocate the maximum allowable $20.5 million to its student-athletes starting this fall, but Willard indicated his unhappiness over his program’s share.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Maryland has ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten in athletic department revenue in recent years, hamstrung by a football program that has struggled to retain fans and deliver signature wins. The Terps went 4-8 last year in their sixth year under coach Mike Locksley, who could be on the hot seat if the team misses out on a bowl game again.

Maryland’s success in nonrevenue sports has also waned. While the women’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 and the men’s lacrosse team is a win away from the Final Four, the Terps were one of the Big Ten’s lowest-performing schools as of mid-April in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, which measures schools’ performance across sports.

According to Maryland, Smith plans to leverage his network of consultants and colleagues around college sports, including Gene Smith, the recently retired longtime athletic director at Ohio State.

“Intercollegiate athletics is undergoing rapid change. The A.D. position is evolving as well,” Gene said in a statement. “Jim Smith’s experiences on campus and with pro sports make him uniquely qualified to lead the Terrapins program. Organizations like Ohio State, the Braves, the Falcons and Atlanta United are all exceptional, making Jim a tremendous hire.”