Two weeks after news broke of his dismissal as Air Force athletic director, athan Pine released a public statement that included not-so-subtle hints at the situation that led to his ouster.

“I’ll look back fondly on most of my time at Air Force,” Pine wrote on social media. “The last 2 years have been arduous for the entire institution. My hope is the Academy and especially the athletic department will recover and become exceptional again in time.”

A report from ESPN on July 2 noted that Pine’s dismissal came at the urging of outgoing superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind. The following day a statement from the Air Force Academy said that the service of Pine “was no longer accepted,” though he would remain under contract as an employee of the Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation.

Whispers of tension between the athletic department and Bauernfeind had been a recurring theme during the superintendent’s tenure. Teams were provided with obstacles related to time with players, access to recruiting resources and complications with approval regarding staff hires.

“He’s killing us,” one Air Force head coach told The Gazette of Bauernfeind. “More kids are going into the transfer portal. We don’t deem our athletics very important anymore at the academy.”

In May, Pine publicly commented on a lack of communication when Bauernfeind added his academy priorities – “Warfighters,” “Leaders” and “Critical Thinking” – to the mezzanine in Falcon Stadium, pushing to the side the names of air battles.

Pine brought up the issue that this might violate an agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office.

On Friday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Maj. Gen. Paul D. Moga as the 23^rd superintendent of the academy. Perhaps by coincidence, Pine issued his statement shortly after.

In his comments, Pine, along with his wife, Stephanie, thanked those he had worked with at the academy and its supporting community. He notably thanked two of the three superintendents who had overseen the institution during his time, recognizing Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jay Silveria and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Rich Clark as “quality leaders and invested teammates.”

Bauernfeind went unmentioned.

“I learned an important maxim of life & college athletics early on – to leave it better than you found it,” Pine wrote. “We can take pride in Air Force Athletics being in a better place today and set up for success in the future because of our collective efforts over the last 7+ years. Our accomplishments would never have been possible without a total team effort from our cadet athletes, coaches, staff and supporters all striving for excellence together.”

Pine closed by noting his respect for the “resolve and effort our cadets, coaches and staff demonstrate every day. They are a talented group, and I will be rooting for them always!”

AFAAC CEO Nancy Hixson is serving as the interim athletic director for a program that now has openings for head coaches in baseball and wrestling.

NOTE: A previous version of this story incorrectly referenced a job posting and salary range.