Steven Leath is out as Auburn University president after “extensive discussions about the university’s leadership,” the school said Friday.

Leath, who had been president for two years, and members of the board of trustees’ presidential assessment working group mutually agreed to part ways, according to a statement on the Auburn website.

“Dr. Leath arrived with vision and enthusiasm to take Auburn to the next level,” said Wayne T. Smith, president pro tempore of the university’s board. “We’re grateful for his dedication and commitment as Auburn made strides as a world-class public university. We wish Steve and Janet all the best.”

Smith said the board would meet “soon” to discuss an interim replacement for Leath.

Even with Leath’s departure, Auburn noted that the university was honored with a Carnegie R1 designation, which placed the school among the top 100 research universities in the country. It also credited Leath with starting the Presidential Awards for Interdisciplinary Research and the Presidential Graduate Research Fellowships.

“As I’ve said many times, serving as Auburn’s president has been the highlight of my career,” Leath said. “I’m confident we leave Auburn stronger than when we arrived.”

Before arriving at Auburn in 2017, Leath was president at Iowa State University and vice president for research and sponsored programs for the University of North Carolina System. He also held several positions at North Carolina State University and started his academic career at the University of Illinois, Urbana, as an extension plant pathologist.