UT's Vice Chancellor for Communications leaves post, three weeks after Chancellor Davenport was fired

Erica Breunlin | Knoxville

Show Caption Hide Caption Davenport's appointment as chancellor to end Beverly Davenport’s appointment as University of Tennessee, Knoxville chancellor will end July 1.

Vice Chancellor for Communications for the University of Tennessee- Knoxville, Ryan Robinson, has left his post, according to Tyra Haag, director of media relations for the university.

Robinson resigned on Monday, about three weeks after Chancellor Beverly Davenport was fired.

He was earning a salary of $255,000, according to Haag.

"I believe he just wanted to pursue other opportunities," Haag said of Robinson's reason for departing. "It was an amicable parting of ways."

Haag said she did not have a sense that Robinson was planning to resign — "not fully" — but she and her colleagues also were not completely surprised.

"I don't believe it blindsided our team," Haag said.

Vice Chancellor for Student Life Vincent Carilli will fill in as the Vice Chancellor for Communications, according to Haag, though he will not take an interim title.

He is going to step in "and assist with leading the Office of Communications and Marketing," Haag said, while also remaining in his current capacity as head of Student Life.

He will hold steady at his salary of $306,000, Haag said.

It's not yet clear when the university will find a permanent vice chancellor for communications, she said, adding that interim Chancellor Wayne Davis will decide.

Nor was Haag certain of Robinson's future plans.

"We are continuing to move forward and we certainly wish him all the best," she said.

Robinson, a native of Ashland, Ky., was hired as UT's sports information director July 2015. He then went to work for the chancellor.

Robinson could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

Robinson, who was the senior associate athletic director for communications at UT, took over as the university's chief marketing and information officer on May 17, 2017. He succeeded Jacob Rudolph, who was the interim vice chancellor for communications beginning in July 2016, following Margie Nichols who headed university communications for more than seven years.

At the time of his hiring, Robinson brought 20 years of experience in public relations to the top communications job.

His appointment was the second major hire to be made by Davenport, who had also named John Currie as athletic director. Currie was let go after eight months in the post.

More: Read Beverly Davenport's scathing termination letter from the UT president

More: Davenport fired: Do women higher ed leaders face more 'brutal and public' firings than men?

More: Davenport fired as UT's chancellor, will be retained as faculty at $439K annually

University System President Joe DiPietro terminated Davenport as chancellor three weeks ago, offering her the option to stay on as a professor in the College of Communication and Information.

Davis was appointed interim chancellor for up to one year, delaying his retirement from his post as dean of the Tickle College of Engineering.

Davis could not be reached for comment on Robinson's resignation.