CRANSTON, R.I. (WJAR) — After 18 years as the University of Rhode Island's athletic director, Thorr Bjorn is leaving the school and will become senior deputy athletic director at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Bjorn will oversee the football program at UMass and will also be the chief administrative officer, according to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel.

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In June of this year, the school announced Bjorn had been promoted to the school's vice president and signed a five-year extension through the 2029-30 academic year.

In Bjorn's 18 years at URI, he has helped URI capture its first conference title in 40 years, and he hired Dan Hurley, who brought the school to the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons in 2017-18 -- their first appearance since 1999 -- among many more athletic accomplishments.