ISU Athletic Director Gene Smith will be leaving Iowa State for Arizona State University.

The news that Arizona State had hired Smith came late Wednesday evening and less than one week after the state Board of Regents approved his 21 percent raise. His name had been discussed as a possible candidate for the Arizona position for months.

Smith has been an administrator who brought a lot of attention to ISU athletics, with successful basketball programs and plans to revamp Jack Trice Stadium. He also had his share of controversy, when some critics charged he didn’t take a stand when former volleyball coach Kerry Miller was charged in 1999 with falsifying her r‚sum‚.

Smith, who has been athletic director at Iowa State since 1993, replaced Kevin White, who took the job as athletic director at Notre Dame. White resigned in April.

The Associated Press reported that Arizona State had scheduled a news conference for this morning to formally introduce Smith to the campus.

“Gene Smith is an excellent director of athletics who will bring ASU a splendid combination of enthusiasm and the capacity to lead the athletic program to even greater heights,” University President Lattie Coor told The Associated Press.

Richard Seagrave, interim president, confirmed the late-night reports that Smith was indeed leaving Iowa State for the Grand Canyon State.

“We hate to lose him. He’s done a great job. We understand that this is a great opportunity for him. He’ll be a tough guy to replace, tough person to replace,” Seagrave said.

He said Iowa State will need to select an interim athletic director, but he doesn’t know when that will happen.

John McCarroll, director of University Relations, said he hadn’t talked with Smith as of press time, but he said Murray Blackwelder, vice president for External Affairs, would likely be in charge of the nationwide search for a successor.

Blackwelder was out of town Wednesday night and unavailable for comment.

McCarroll said “there’s no comparison” between the Athletic Department Smith took control of in 1993 and the one that exists today.

“His imprint on ISU athletics is very dramatic,” he said, citing Smith’s achievements in marketing, improving facilities and attracting and mentoring student-athletes.

“He’ll be missed. He’s extremely well known, but … he’s leaving [the Athletic Department] in pretty good shape, it should be an attractive position for others to seek,” he said.

Though the regents approved a raise for Smith that increased his salary to $200,000 a year — making him one of the highest-paid athletic directors in the Big 12 — Seagrave said he thinks money influenced Smith’s decision to leave.

“I’m sure it’s one factor,” he said.

“I’m sure that Gene feels this is a great opportunity. It’s a [Pacific 10], fine place. They have a great athletic program, and I’m sure he sees it as a really good career move for him right now,” he said. “We’re really sorry to see him go, but we wish him the best. He’s lucky.”

Warren Madden, president for Business and Finance, said Smith cleared up some of the Athletic Department’s financial difficulties during his tenure.

“He came to Iowa State when the Athletic Department’s budgets — they were operating some programs at a deficit. He’s dealt with all of that. He’s put the athletic program on what I think is a solid financial footing,” he said.

Several representatives from the ISU Athletic Department were unavailable for comment Wednesday night. Linda Brinkmeyer, assistant to the athletic director, has worked with Smith for the past two years. She called him “a great leader.”

“He’s a great mentor to his staff. He looks for the strengths in people, and he helps them to build on their strengths, from his coaches throughout the staff and also with the student-athletes,” she said.