South Carolina's quest to find a replacement for Ray Tanner atop its athletics program is complete.
Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell FootballScoop Wednesday that current TCU Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati will depart the Horned Frogs program for the top spot at the Southeastern Conference program.
A formal announcement is expected in the coming days.
For Donati, it's a prime opportunity at a state flagship school in college athletics' most competitive conference across all sports, and it brings to an end a decorated run at TCU.
Head of the athletics department for seven years, Donati, who has a law degree, has overseen TCU's rise to win eight different national championships in various sports and double-digit Big 12 Conference crowns; his hiring of Sonny Dykes also helped the Horned Frogs reach the College Football Playoff title game two years ago.
Tanner, a multiple-time College World Series champion baseball coach for the Gamecocks, has been atop the South Carolina athletics department the past dozen years. It was announced earlier this year that Tanner would wind down his oversight of the Gamecocks's athletics department.
He hired Dawn Staley, who quickly transformed South Carolina women's basketball into the nation's top program with a trio of national championships, and also hired Shane Beamer to run South Carolina football. The Gamecocks just defeated rival Clemson to finish 9-3 and are on the cusp of the CFP's 12-team field.
South Carolina conducted a months-long national search to find Tanner's replacement, and SMU A.D. Rick Hart was among other finalists before Donati ultimately was the choice.