Missouri Tigers hire first woman as athletic director, UNLV’s Desiree Reed-Francois
Missouri has a new athletic director, and for the first time a woman will lead the Tigers’ sports programs.
Desiree Reed-Franciois, who has spent the previous five years as athletic director at Nevada-Las Vegas, was announced as Mizzou’s new A.D. on Sunday. The university board will meet Tuesday to approve her contract.
Reed-Francois, 49, replaces Jim Sterk, who agreed to step down from the position last month.
“This is a transformational day for Mizzou Athletics,” University of Missouri president Mun Choi said in a release. “Desiree Reed-Francois brings an unsurpassed passion for student-athletes and bold, visionary skills that will propel a championship culture at MU. As a proud member of the SEC, we are energized to go into the next era of Mizzou athletics with Desiree Reed-Francois at the helm.”
Reed-Francois was selected following a search led by university curator Jeff Layman and Parker Executive Search.
“It is truly an honor to join Missouri’s flagship institution, and I am extremely grateful to search committee Chair Layman and members of the search advisory committee for this incredible opportunity,” said Reed-Francois. “The University of Missouri is a world-class academic institution with a strong commitment to athletics, and a resolve to further enhance its athletics programs to achieve elite national status is all of our endeavors.
“We have a proud and storied tradition; we compete in the premier athletic conference in the country; and, perhaps most importantly, we have a collective desire to be great. My family and I are excited to join the Mizzou family, and I cannot wait to get started.”
Before UNLV, Reed-Francois served as deputy director of athletics at Virginia Tech and oversaw the football program. There, she served with athletic director Whit Babcock, who had been Missouri’s associate AD from 2007-11.
She will also become the first woman athletic director at a public school in the Southeastern Conference.
“Desiree brings a variety of quality experiences to student-athletes as a leader on many campuses and in many conferences,” said SEC commissioner Greg Sankey.
In April, Reed-Franciois signed a four-year extension with the Runnin’ Rebels and her base salary was increased to $420,000.
At the time, UNLV president Mark Whitfield praised her leadership.
“Under Desiree’s focused leadership, our student-athletes are performing better than ever in the classroom, the culture is one of integrity and professionalism, and she’s driving innovation in marketing, fundraising, and the overall fan experience,” Whitfield said in a news release.
When Reed-Francois was hired at UNLV in 2017 she was the first Hispanic woman to serve as an athletic director of Football Bowl Subdivision program. She is the daughter of a Mexican mother and English father.
Reed-Francois is a graduate of UCLA, where she competed on the rowing team. She has worked in athletic administration at San Francisco, Cal, San Jose State, Santa Clara and Fresno State before taking leadership roles at Tennessee as deputy AD, Cincinnati as senior associated AD and Virginia Tech.
At Tennessee, Reed-Francois was on the committee that hired Cuonzo Martin, now Mizzou’s men’s basketball coach.
This story was originally published August 8, 2021 at 4:17 PM.