Georgia Southern officials announced Wednesday morning that Eagles Director of Athletics Jared Benko has taken a job as Executive Deputy Director of Athletics at Auburn University and his last day at Georgia Southern will be Nov. 15.
Since joining Georgia Southern in March 2020, Benko has helped with growth of the Athletics Department through fundraising, capital project initiatives and historic athletic achievements.
"Jared's visionary leadership has been transformational for Georgia Southern Athletics,” said Georgia Southern president Dr. Kyle Marrero. “From his fundraising success to his commitment to competitive and academic excellence, his impact will benefit our student-athletes, coaches and fans for decades. We're grateful for the strong foundation he has built here and wish him continued success at Auburn."
Among the major facility projects Benko has overseen in his time at Georgia Southern Benko helped oversee is the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill convocation center where the Eagle basketball teams will be playing this year. In addition, he helped spearhead the Tippins Family Training Facility, and improvements to J.I. Clements Stadium which included the Yellawood deck in right field and team building expansion.
"The past four and a half years at Georgia Southern University have been an incredible blessing for my family and me,” Benko said. “What makes this institution truly special are its people and the alignment of shared values. I'm grateful to Dr. Marrero for his mentorship and friendship — his leadership will undoubtedly guide Georgia Southern toward even greater achievements. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Eagle Nation for their unwavering support and belief in us throughout our time in Statesboro. None of this would have been possible without you. Georgia Southern's best days are ahead!"
Current Eagle COO Chris Davis is expected to be named as Benko's successor soon. Benko's last day at Georgia Southern will be Nov. 15. The University is finalizing a five-year deal according to reports by ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Davis came to Georgia Southern in June of 2020 after four years at Auburn.
As the Department's No. two leader, Davis administers oversight of daily operations of the Athletic Department and provides administrative direction and oversight for all intercollegiate athletics staff, programs facilities and activities. He leads the sport administrator leadership team as the sport supervisor for football and men's golf and provides consultation and counsel to the director of athletics. Davis works with constituents from across campus as a member of the Emergency Management Committee and the Cleary Act Compliance Committee.
Davis came to Statesboro after four years at Auburn (May 2016-June 2020). There, he served as the vice president/general manager of Auburn Sports Properties, a division of Fox Sports College Properties for Auburn Athletics. Davis helped increase revenue year over year for all four years with regional, statewide and local corporate partners, overseeing the largest percentage growth in the history of the Auburn Athletics Corporate Partnership MMR team. Under his leadership and guidance, the Auburn Sports Network team delivered a first-class product to a worldwide audience across multiple platforms.
