University of Hartford losing its interim AD

University of Hartford vice president, general counsel, board secretary and interim athletic director Maria Feeley is leaving for another job, the school announced Monday.

After four years at the school, Feeley will take over as chief legal officer and general counsel at Washington & Lee University, her law school alma mater.

“Maria has stepped up to take on a number of responsibilities during her tenure,” UH President Gregory Woodward said in a statement. “She has significantly contributed to the strategic advancement of several areas across the university and we are proud to see her advance her career with a new and personally meaningful opportunity.”

As of Wednesday, UH had not announced who would succeed Feeley as athletic director or in her other roles. Her last day at the school will be Aug. 6.

Originally hired as vice president, general counsel and board secretary, Feeley became interim athletic director in 2019 following the resignation of Mary Ellen Gillespie. She served in that role for nearly two years, during which UH launched an esports varsity program and saw its men’s basketball team reach its first NCAA Tournament.

In early May, UH’s Board of Regents voted to transition the school’s athletic department from Division I to Division III in a cost-saving move that has angered a number of students and alumni.

Feeley, who has not weighed in publicly about the move to Division III, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday morning.

In a statement released by the university, Feeley said it was “a difficult decision to leave behind the great people with whom I have had the pleasure of working,” but that she looked forward to returning to her alma mater.

“I wish the University [of Hartford], all my colleagues, and the student body the best,” she said.