LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky general manager Pat Biondo announced Tuesday he is leaving the Wildcats’ football program after only seven months on a job he took when following new coach Will Stein from Oregon.

“This is a personal move and I hope everyone will respect the private nature of such a tough decision,” Biondo said in a statement.

He thanked Kentucky and Stein for the opportunity. Kentucky athletics issued a statement saying that Biondo informed officials of his decision to step down.

“We respect his choice and the personal considerations behind it,” Kentucky athletics said. “We are grateful for his contributions to our program.”

Stein said last December he was thrilled to welcome Biondo as the general manager, citing his work ethic and ability to bring the best out of people around him.

Biondo spent four years as the director of football recruiting strategy at Oregon, where the fifth-seeded Ducks reached the College Football Playoff last season. He was senior assistant of recruiting and operations at Texas A&M for three seasons before going to Oregon.

He started at his alma mater, West Virginia, in 2010 and spent nine years on the women’s basketball team as video coordinator, special assistant to the head coach and director of operations.

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