COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Air Force Academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark is going to be the next College Football Playoff executive director the organization announced Friday.
As first reported by ESPN, Clark emerged from a pool of three finalists, and the College Football Leadership was impressed with the former Air Force linebacker's leadership skills and military career.
"I'm pleased to announce that Lieutenant General Clark has accepted our offer to run the CFP and I'm highly confident he will do a superb job in this important position," said Mark Keenum, President of Mississippi State University and the chairman of the College Football Playoff Board of Managers in a news release Friday.
According to CFP, Clark will go on to replace Bill Hancock, who has been the acting executive director since November of 2021. Clark is expected to retire from the Air Force in 2024 before taking the position with CFP.
In 2020, Richard M. Clark was nominated to become the first black superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy by President Trump at the time. During his time at the Air Force Academy Clark was in charge of the Academy's four-year regimen of military training, academics, athletic and character development programs.
Clark's takeover of the position comes as a new age of College Football approaches. The College Football Playoff will be expanding to a 12-team bracket starting in 2024, and the final two years of the College Football Playoff television contract.
News 5's Bradey King will have more in-depth coverage of this on News 5 at 5 p.m.
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