A new era of athletics leadership is upon Robert Morris.

On Monday Robert Morris released a statement, revealing that athletic director Chris King had resigned.

ESPN had initially reported several hours earlier that King was “out” at RMU.

“It has been an honor to serve my alma mater as the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Robert Morris University, and I am proud of what this program and its student-athletes have accomplished during my tenure,” King, an Apollo native, said. “After careful reflection, I have decided to step down from my role to pursue new professional opportunities. The administration and I have mutually agreed that this is the right moment for a clean, positive transition as we both move into our next chapters.

“To the coaches, staff, and student-athletes at RMU: you have my deepest respect and admiration. What you do every day matters, and I am a better leader for having worked alongside you. College athletics is being remade in real time, and I am genuinely excited about what comes next. The best work is still ahead.”

Robert Morris will begin a national search to identify King’s replacement immediately.

A 1994 Robert Morris graduate, King returned to his alma mater after a decade (2009-19) as athletic director at the Texas Rio Grande Valley, formerly UT-Pan American.

Prior to that, King worked in the athletic departments of Central Florida and Alabama.

A defining moment in King’s leadership at RMU was when Andy Toole and the Colonials men’s basketball team won the Horizon League regular-season and conference championships in 2025 to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

King oversaw the Colonials’ transition from the Northeast Conference to the Horizon League ahead of the 2020-21 school year and signed Toole to an extension in April of 2025.

Robert Morris’ football team also moved conferences under King, going from the Northeast Conference to the Big South in 2020 before returning back to the Northeast in 2024.

“Chris’ contributions over the past seven years have elevated Division I athletics at RMU. We are proud of the work our student athletes have done both in competition and in the classroom under his leadership,” president Dr. Michelle Patrick said. “We thank Chris for everything he accomplished during his time here, and we wish him the best in the future.”

Copyright ©2026— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)