Diana Sabau is leaving Utah State.
On Wednesday morning, USU confirmed reports from Tuesday night that Sabau — the Aggies’ athletic director the last two years — is leaving her post at Utah State to take a deputy athletic director position at the University of Maryland.
Per Utah State, Sabau’s last day with the Aggies will be July 21.
“I deeply appreciate Diana Sabau for her exceptional leadership and the significant momentum she has built within the USU athletic program,” interim USU president Al Smith said in a release. “From guiding the university through its transition from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 to leading the most ambitious athletics fundraising campaign in our university’s history, Diana has positioned USU strongly on the national stage and laid a solid foundation for future success.”
A statement from Utah State noted that it won’t be providing any additional statements at this time, but the current focus is to identify “a strong interim leader who will bring stability to the program and support USU’s continued momentum.”
What Diana Sabau said about her time at Utah State, decision to leave for Maryland
Sabau arrived at Utah State in the summer of 2023 with the stated intent to raise the profile of Utah State athletics.
During her tenure, the Aggies:
- Accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference
- Won six conference championships, including a school-record four during the 2023-24 season
- Started the Reach and Rise campaign, the most ambitious athletics fundraising initiative in Utah State history which has — to date — raised nearly $29 million in gifts and pledges
- Fired former football coach Blake Anderson and former women’s basketball coach Kayla Ard
- Hired Wes Brooks (women’s basketball), Jerrod Calhoun (men’s basketball) and Bronco Mendenhall (football).
All of which is to say it was a notable two years for USU under Sabau.
“I am grateful for my time at Utah State University and all we accomplished, from fundraising milestones to conference championships and success beyond the playing fields, including our outstanding academic accomplishments,” Sabau said in a statement. “Our mission over the past two years has been to modernize the athletics department and position Utah State for long-term success while building a championship culture for USU student-athletes.
“I am extremely grateful to all of those who invested in our student-athletes and showed an energized commitment to revenue sharing and a modernized NIL structure. The department has grown and is well-prepared to thrive as it joins the new Pac-12 in 2026.”
Sabau, who has spent the majority of her professional career in the Big Ten, with stints at the conference office and at Ohio State University, also talked about her decision to take a job at Maryland.
“The opportunity at the University of Maryland takes me back to a conference I love,” she said, “and a high-functioning Power Four environment in a region where I have spent most of my athletics career.”
Sabau will work under new Maryland AD James E. Smith, whose career in the realm of athletics has largely been spent at the professional level with Arthur M. Blank Sports & Entertainment (AMBSE), which owns the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, though Smith has also worked for the Atlanta Braves, the Columbus Crew and Ohio State.
Sabau will be senior deputy AD under Smith, according to On3 Sports’ Brett McMurphy.
“Utah State AD Diana Sabau is heading to Maryland as senior deputy AD to join new Terps AD James E. Smith, pairing his pro sports knowledge with her college expertise,” wrote McMurphy.
