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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University is launching an immediate national search to replace Todd Stansbury, vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics at OSU, who this morning was hired by his alma mater, Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta, Ga.

Stansbury has led Oregon State's athletics department since August 2015 after serving more than three years as vice president and athletics director at the University of Central Florida. He previously was at Oregon State from 2003-12.

Stansbury said the decision to leave Oregon State and return to Georgia Tech was a difficult one. He played football there as a linebacker; graduated from GT in 1984; and worked in the athletics department from 1987-95.

"My wife Karen and I chose to return to Oregon State because we loved this university and Corvallis so much," he said. "Oregon State is an excellent university, and its men's and women's programs are among the best in the Pac-12 Conference and successfully compete against top programs nationally. But Georgia Tech is my alma mater. Anyone who has heard me speak, knows of the passion I have for the opportunities that I was granted there as a student, as an athlete, and as a past member of the Georgia Tech athletics department."

Oregon State President Edward J. Ray said he was disappointed to see Stansbury leave, but understands his decision.

"I have known Todd for a number of years and appreciate all that he accomplished while here," Ray said. "While I was very pleased to hire him in 2015 to return to Oregon State, I do understand the pull of his alma mater."

Ray said he will engage an advisory group of university, alumni and leaders in intercollegiate sports to begin an immediate national search for a new athletic director. The selection process will be aided by a national search firm focused in intercollegiate athletics. Ray said he plans to name an interim athletic director as soon as possible by following university procedures.

The search committee will be led by Joey Spatafora, an OSU Alumni Association Distinguished Professor and the university's faculty athletic representative to the PAC-12 conference. Ray said he is confident that Oregon State will draw interest from many high-caliber athletics administrators throughout the nation.

Spatafora said the committee will seek candidates who will build upon Oregon State's strong winning culture in men's and women's sports; who can foster student-athlete success in academics and community; and who can drive financial stability within the athletics department.

"We will attract someone who well understands the 21^st century student-athlete," Spatafora said. "Our new athletic director will advance the important role that athletics play on the Oregon State campus, among our students, fans and donors - in Oregon and across the nation."

Ray said he has no doubts that Oregon State's search will be successful.

"I guarantee that our new athletic director will add significantly to the success of Oregon State's men's and women's athletics," Ray said. "Fan excitement and engagement will grow, and he or she will be committed to all student-athletes and to all OSU students. I expect that we will attract well-experienced candidates and strongly qualified candidates of diversity. Our new director will contribute to the remarkable transformation that is occurring at Oregon State where everything we do is about inclusive excellence and leadership.

"While transitions such as these are unexpected, OSU remains committed to high-level athletics achievement by competing and winning championships the right way - the Oregon State way," Ray said.

A native of Ontario, Canada, Stansbury graduated with a degree in industrial management from Georgia Tech, where he played linebacker for the Yellow Jackets' football team.  He went on to earn a master's degree in sports administration from Georgia State University in 1993.

Before coming to Oregon State, Stansbury worked in athletics administration at Georgia Tech (1990-95), where he was assistant athletic director; the University of Houston (1997-2000), as associate athletic director; and East Tennessee State (2000-03), where he was director of athletics.

While at Oregon State, Stansbury expanded OSU's "Everyday Champions" program that emphasizes student-athlete success in the classroom and in the community. He led a resurgent Oregon State presence in the Portland region by re-starting the Far West Basketball Classic and launching the Dam City Showcase - a series of baseball games against national competition hosted by the Beaver baseball team and spring football scrimmage.

Under Stansbury's leadership, the OSU women's basketball team competed in the 2016 NCAA Final Four, and the men's basketball team played in the 2016 NCAA men's tournament. 

Oregon State's intercollegiate athletics program has 17 NCAA sports, more than 500 student-athletes and a budget that exceeds $70 million.