Report: Missouri targeting Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch

Missouri is targeting Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch to be the Tigers’ next AD, sources tell ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Veatch spent six years at Missouri in a variety of roles from 1997-2002, including as a development coordinator, as the director of athletics development for major giving and the assistant athletics director for development.

After that, Veatch was hired at Learfield Sports in 2003 as the general manager for Mizzou Sports Properties before his promotion to regional vice president in 2006. He coordinated all multimedia activities within the Missouri Athletics Department’s external operations team and directed all of Mizzou’s Sports Properties staff, activities and performance.

He has served as Memphis’ athletic director since October of 2019, and was elevated to the title of Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics in June of 2021. He previously held the executive associate AD position at Florida from 2017 until his departure to Memphis in 2019.

Veatch is the man behind Memphis’ #MemphisAscend, which helped bring a Student-Athlete Success Center, a Student Housing development and several other upgrades and projects to the Tigers’ campus during his tenure. He also partnered with the City of Memphis to help undergo a $200 million renovation to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium for the Memphis Tiger football team.

During his time at Memphis, Veatch understood the importance of name, image and likeness to collegiate athletes. Under his guide, Memphis became one of the first 10 schools in the country to hire a Director of Name, Image and Likeness to help student-athletes maximize their NIL.

Prior to Florida, Veatch spent seven years from 2010 until 2017 at his alma mater, Kansas State University, where served in several roles, including deputy athletics director and interim director of athletics.

After nearly two decades, Veatch is now on his way back to Columbia as its next director of athletics. As of this report, it’s unknown when a formal announcement will be made.

Veatch now joins Missouri in his most prominent role yet. He’ll take over at a time where the Tigers’ football team is coming off its first 11-win season since 2014, and the first under head coach Eli Drinkwitz. With the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff format being implemented for the 2024 college football season, the Tigers feel like they are legitimate contenders to make that field after being ranked as high as No. 9 in the final CFP rankings of the season after winning the Cotton Bowl.