Shawn Eichorst has resigned from his job as the athletic director for the Miami Hurricanes. This is the latest blow as the department is about to be hit with sanctions by the NCAA.
The person who spoke to the Associated Press would not reveal their name and wanted to be kept anonymous as the school has not officially announced Eichorst’s resignation and are scrambling to find someone to temporarily fill his roll.
Various reports in Nebraska have identified Eichorst this week as a candidate to replace the retiring Tom Osborne as the Cornhuskers’ athletic director.
Eichorst has not returned reporters calls for comment. His resignation comes two days before Miami plays Notre Dame at Soldier Field, the first regular-season meeting between the storied football programs since 1990.
Eichorst’s time at Miami only lasted about 18 months. He was hired by the Hurricanes after serving as Wisconsin’s Chief Operating Officer for athletics, overseeing a $90 million budget and being closely involved with a $100 million construction project for ice hockey, swimming and football. Eichorst was highly recommended for the Miami job by his one-time boss at Wisconsin, athletic director Barry Alvarez – a close friend of Miami President Donna Shalala.
Miami is going to be hit with sanctions because of the 2011 Ponzi scheme involving Nevin Shapiro who is now serving a 20 year prison term for his role in bilking investors out of $930 million. Shapiro said he provided dozens of Miami athletes and recruits with impermissible benefits over an eight-year period starting in 2002.