John Hartwell is returning to the Sun Belt Conference.

The former Troy athletics director was hired Thursday at Louisiana-Monroe. A Mobile native, Hartwell was AD for eight years at Utah State before resigning last fall.

“ULM was fortunate to attract an athletic leader of John’s caliber through our national search,” ULM president Ron Berry said. “We are excited about his work as we continue to move our athletic programs forward while maintaining our strong mission of changing the lives of our students, including our student-athletes. He brings a significant level of successful leadership and passion for the ULM Warhawk community.”

Hartwell was a basketball star at Mobile’s UMS-Wright Prep and later played at The Citadel. He also worked in administrative roles at Georgia State and Ole Miss before being hired as AD at Troy in 2012.

Hartwell left the Trojans for Utah State in 2015. He was widely considered a candidate for the AD job at Auburn following the departure of Allen Greene last fall, but the Tigers ultimately hired Mississippi State’s John Cohen.

“Our family is honored, humbled, and thrilled to join the ULM Warhawk Family,” Hartwell said. “My pledge to our student-athletes, coaches, staff, University community, alums, fans, and all of our Warhawk Family is that we will relentlessly pursue excellence in the classroom, in the community, and on the fields of competition.

“Our vision will be to enhance our image from merely being proud members of the Sun Belt Conference, to being championship contenders across all of our sports in the Sun Belt Conference. I can’t wait to get started. Go Warhawks!”

Hartwell gives ULM its first full-time AD since August, when Scott McDonald resigned. Seth Hall had served as interim AD since McDonald’s departure.