FGCU athletic director Ken Kavanagh to retire in June

FGCU athletic director Ken Kavanagh's tenure with the Eagles is coming to an end.

In a Tuesday email to university personnel, FGCU president Aysegul Timur announced Kavanagh has decided to retire when his contract concludes in June.

Timur said FGCU will be starting a national search for Kavanagh's replacement and would like to have a new athletic leader in place as soon as possible. In April, Kavanagh will be reassigned to the Office of the President to oversee special projects for his final three months at the university.

The 63-year-old Kavanagh took over FGCU's athletic program in 2009 after spending 13 years at Bradley University. He helped steer one of the most successful transitions to Division I athletics in NCAA history with four FGCU teams capturing ASUN regular season and tournament championships during the 2011-12 season, the Eagles' first year of postseason eligibility.

In 2011, Kavanagh made his most consequential hire, tapping Andy Enfield as FGCU's second men's basketball coach. In Enfield's second season, the 'Dunk City' Eagles became the first No. 15 seed to advance to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16, thrusting FGCU into the national spotlight.

Under Kavanagh's leadership, the Eagles have dominated ASUN competition, winning 49 conference regular-season titles and 33 tournament championships. He's been named Athletic Director of the Year three times by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.