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Dave Joyner announces retirement

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Penn State athletic director Dave Joyner has elected to retire, effective Aug. 1, the school announced in a statement Tuesday.

A source told ESPN's Brett McMurphy that Joyner will remain at the school through early 2015 in a non-AD role to assist with his pension.

"It has been an honor and privilege to serve Penn State," Joyner said in the statement. "Our student athletes, coaches, staff and the University community were a daily source of inspiration for me. The spirit of Penn State is strong, and the department's commitment to integrity, as well as academic and athletic excellence is stronger than ever."

The move itself is not surprising, given that Penn State said last January a national search would be conducted for a new athletic director once president Rodney Erickson's term ended. Erickson stepped down in May, and former Florida State president Eric J. Barron has since taken his place.

"Dave Joyner has provided steady leadership to Athletics for nearly three years," Barron said in the statement. "I want to thank him for his hard work in upholding Penn State's legacy of academic and athletic success."

Joyner had been expected to resign, according to a report by PennLive.com, and reports surfaced over the weekend regarding Barron's interest in current Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Penn State is likely to offer its top choice "in excess of $1 million per year." Currently, Joyner is the lowest-paid AD in the Big Ten conference with a $396,000 salary.

Joyner took over as Penn State's acting athletic director on Nov. 17, 2011, in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child-sex abuse scandal. He dropped "acting" from his title on Jan. 18, 2013.

Prior to his appointment, Joyner was a member of Penn State Board of Trustees and an orthopedic physician. Despite some publicized spats with the football team, he also played under Joe Paterno as an offensive tackle from 1969 to '71.

Information from ESPN.com's Penn State reporter Josh Moyer and ESPN's Brett McMurphy contributed to this report.

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