Jay Jacobs is stepping down as Auburn's athletic director.

In a letter sent to donors Friday afternoon, Jacobs said earlier this week he informed Auburn University president Steven Leath he would step down on June 1, 2018, "or sooner if my successor is in place."

"The last several months have been a particularly difficult time," Jacobs wrote in the letter. "Across several sports, a series of controversies have arisen. They have begun to take their toll and have raised questions about why Auburn must endure such problems. As I have always done, I have worked my hardest and best to do what is right for Auburn.

"I believe in Auburn and will fight for Auburn. But as I consider the future and what is best for Auburn, I have prayerfully decided the time has come for me to step aside. Sometimes a new direction and new leadership are helpful in moving beyond current problems."

Jacobs' nearly 13-year tenure as Auburn's athletic director ends with the department mired in numerous scandals.

There is still one charge outstanding from the federal wrongful termination lawsuit by former baseball coach Sunny Golloway, an ongoing Title IX investigation into allegations of abuse and sexual harassment of softball players, the FBI's case against assistant basketball coach Chuck Person that has led to the program indefinitely sitting Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy and the federal discrimination lawsuit filed by former track assistant coach Adrian Ghioroaie.

Auburn has retained Birmingham-based law firm Lightfoot, Franklin & White to review the softball and men's basketball programs and investigate an allegation of an academic staffer taking a test for a former football player. The school has fulfilled three of AL.com's numerous public records requests related to the softball program and investigation, but none related to men's basketball, track or other sports.

"Auburn and Auburn Athletics are both better because of Jay's years of service to his alma mater," Auburn president Steven Leath said in a statement. "Under his leadership, Auburn teams have won 11 national and 24 SEC championships, student-athlete academic achievement has risen to its highest level, revenue has grown dramatically, and Auburn consistently ranks among the nation's best in game day experience.

"Jay is an Auburn man through and through. Janet and I wish Jay and Angie the very best, and we look forward to his continued service to Auburn as Athletics Director Emeritus."

AL.com reported on Sept. 29 that Auburn's leadership began the process to end Jacobs' tenure as athletic director, which began in Dec. 2004, after his career on the Plains began as an assistant strength and conditioning coach in 1985.

Payroll records indicate Jacobs earned over $1 million in total compensation in each of the last three years. He was earning $600,000 a year in base salary, with several incentives built into his contract that could increase the base salary to $750,000 per year.

As of March 2016, Jacobs' contract, which he signed in 2011, was to expire on June 30, 2020, but could have been extended an additional year through 2021 with an automatic rollover on June 1, 2016 that is believed to have occurred. An Auburn official said the contract in 2011 is the latest contract Jacobs signed.

Auburn won 12 national championships during Jacobs' tenure as athletic director, though only the 2010 BCS National Championship was from a revenue sport, but the program was plagued in recent years by a series of coaching hires that failed to produce enough wins or ended in scandals.

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The revenue for Auburn's athletic department soared over the past 13 years, as was the case everywhere in the SEC, and Jacobs championed several facilities projects, including Auburn Arena and the South end zone video board at Jordan-Hare Stadium, other cosmetic changes to existing facilities and an ongoing $61.7 million facilities fundraising campaign.

However, there were years where the department operated at a loss due in large part to enormous buyouts for coaches Jacobs both hired and later fired, specifically Gene Chizik and Tony Barbee, and the plans to renovate the North end zone of Jordan-Hare have repeatedly stalled due to insufficient fundraising and various portions have been broken off for separate smaller projects, including the support facility, locker room and new press box currently under construction in the Southwest corner.

In September, Auburn's board of trustees approved the initiation of a project for a new videoboard in the North end zone. Final plans for that project, its impact on the North end zone renovation, other facilities projects and the long-term master plan for athletics facilities, which the board requested Jacobs present, are scheduled to be discussed at the Nov. 10 board meeting.

During his over 30 years working at his alma mater, Jacobs also served as a football graduate assistant, conditioning coach, assistant athletics director, associate athletic director for operations and senior associate athletic director in charge of Tigers Unlimited, the department's fundraising arm, before becoming athletic director.

Prior to Friday's letter, Jacobs' last public comments came in an impromptu meeting with reporters following the introductory press conference of new softball coach Mickey Dean on Sept. 17.

Asked if he discussed a contract extension with former softball coach Clint Myers, which was widely reported by multiple outlets in July but refuted by Auburn 51 days later, Jacobs did not answer and ended the interview.

"I'm done. I'm done," Jacobs said. "Thank y'all. I sent a letter to everybody. You can read that, OK? But I did want to come by. (A reporter) said y'all wanted to ask me some questions, so I wanted to come by and do that respectfully, OK? Everybody good? I know you're not satisfied, but I came by."

James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.