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Columbia Daily Tribune
Laird Veatch officially named next athletic director at Missouri
- Story byColumbia Daily Tribune
- Laird Veatch officially named next athletic director at Missouri
It took nine weeks and a day, but the wait is over.
Missouri has found its new athletic director: Memphis' Laird Veatch. MU announced Veatch as its next athletic director on Tuesday morning, making him the Tigers' fourth AD in the past nine years. The UM System Board of Curators will meet Wednesday morning to approve the hire.
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Veatch's official start date is May 1.
"Veatch is a proven leader with the vision we need to achieve our championship goals," UM System President Mun Choi said in a news release. "I want to thank Curator Blitz and the search committee for identifying the right leader to build upon the incredible momentum of Mizzou Athletics. I also want to thank interim director Marcy Girton for her service and commitment to Mizzou Athletics."
It has been 64 days since Desireé Reed-Francois left her post as MU's athletic director for the same role at Arizona. Since then, Mizzou put together an 11-person search committee and hired the search firm TurnKey ZRG to find Reed-Francois' replacement.
Altogether, they landed on Veatch, a former employee in the Missouri athletic department and a candidate for the Missouri AD opening in 2021.
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"The search committee was dedicated to finding a great director of athletics, but even more important was to find the director of athletics who is the best fit for Mizzou," Bob Blitz, curator and chair of the search committee, said in a release. "I am confident Laird will accelerate our path to the pinnacle of SEC athletics."
University of Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch talks to fans Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, before the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Veatch has two previous stints with Missouri, having spent five years with the university between 1997-2002, holding titles such as assistant AD for development; director of athletics development for major giving; and director of annual giving and development coordinator. He also worked for Learfield Sports, managing Mizzou Sports Properties between 2003-06.
While at Memphis, Veatch hired football coach Ryan Silverfield, extended men's basketball coach Penny Hardaway and made two hires for the women's basketball team — Katrina Merriwether and Alex Simmons — during his time as AD. He also hired current Missouri baseball coach Kerrick Jackson.
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Veatch is a graduate of Kansas State, where he was a linebacker under head coach Bill Snyder. He spent several years in various roles in the Wildcats' athletic department before becoming the AD at Memphis, including as deputy athletic director.
While at Memphis, Veatch partnered with the city of Memphis for a $200 million renovation to the school's football stadium. Missouri recently approved a $250 million upgrade to Memorial Stadium's north concourse, a project that Veatch will oversee and is expected to be completed by October 2026. Mizzou must finance half of the project.
He brings three years of SEC experience, as he was the executive associate athletics director of internal affairs at Florida from 2017-19, his final stop before becoming Memphis AD. While at Florida, he oversaw a $15 million renovation to the Gators' softball stadium and a groundbreaking on a baseball stadium worth $65 million, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Memphis also has been forward-thinking in the Name, Image and Likeness age. Last Friday, Veatch and Memphis secured a $25 million NIL partnership with FedEx.
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"The opportunity to return to the University of Missouri and to Columbia is truly incredible for me and my family," Veatch said in a release. "I am grateful to President Choi, the Board of Curators and the members of the search committee for believing in me and in the future of Mizzou Athletics. Mizzou has always had a passionate and dedicated fan base including broad support throughout the state, and together, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish.
"That includes winning SEC and NCAA championships while providing our student-athletes with a tremendous experience. I am honored and humbled to serve the university and to do my part to elevate Mizzou Athletics to unprecedented heights."
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Laird Veatch officially named next athletic director at Missouri
