Eric Hyman Steps Down as Texas A&M Athletic Director: Latest Comments, Reaction

Texas A&M athletic director Eric Hyman resigned from his position Tuesday, marking an end to a rather brief tenure that began in June 2012.  

Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle reported on Hyman's announcement. Hyman's previous AD stints included stops at South Carolina and TCU.

Zwerneman also passed along a statement from Hyman regarding his time with the Aggies:

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I appreciate my time here at Texas A&M University and I am proud of our student-athletes' achievements both on the field and in the classroom. The best part of an AD's job is forming wonderful relationships with student-athletes, colleagues, former students and Texas A&M has been no exception. I will always value my time here and the friendships I have made with Aggies. I wish Texas A&M University nothing but continued success.

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Texas A&M president Michael Young also spoke about Hyman's exit, per Zwerneman:

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I want to thank Eric for the service he has provided Texas A&M during his time as athletic director. He has shown a high level of integrity and professionalism in his role as AD and  improved both our student-athlete academic and athletic performance through facility improvements,  nutritional enhancement through the RC Slocum Nutritional center and preparation for life after college  through upgrading the Life Skills program. His relationships and insights within the Southeastern Conference  have been extraordinarily helpful to Texas A&M Athletics along with his five-year strategic plan. I fully expect  Eric to make a positive impact in whatever endeavor he pursues next.

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Hyman oversaw the dawn of the Steve Spurrier coaching era at South Carolina beginning in 2005—and before then helped usher in a revamped TCU football program when Gary Patterson was promoted to head coach in 2000.

Gridiron lightning struck again for Hyman in his maiden year at the helm with the Aggies. That season saw eventual Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel lead Texas A&M to a signature win over Alabama on the road to vault the Aggies into the national spotlight as they transitioned from the Big 12 to the SEC.

Other Texas A&M sports were also successful during Hyman's tenure.

Numerous teams have won conference championships, and both the men's and women's track and field teams won national championships, per TexAgs.com's Olin Buchanan.

But as Buchanan pointed out, Hyman has been criticized for not engaging enough with fans and for not firing men's basketball coach Billy Kennedy, though the Aggies have posted an 11-2 record on the hardwood this season.

Texas A&M football is also in a precarious position. Highly touted quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray both transferred, and the team has struggled to find an answer at the position since Manziel's departure for the NFL.

Given Hyman's strong track record and the positive developments that seem to occur at every stop, the Aggies will have their work cut out for them to replace the 65-year-old.

Should he want to continue his administrative career elsewhere, Hyman should have no shortage of schools calling him to gauge interest. Nothing in Hyman's statement indicates retirement, so he's bound to be pursued by anyone in the market for an athletic director.