Mizzou turns to Sarah Reesman as interim athletic director

Effective Friday, Missouri athletics will have its third interim athletic director — executive associate athletic director/senior woman administrator Sarah Reesman — since Mack Rhoades’ abrupt July 13 resignation.

University of Missouri interim chancellor Hank Foley made the announcement Wednesday in an email to faculty, students and staff.

“As we continue the search for an Athletic Director, I am pleased to announce that Sarah Reesman has agreed to serve in the position on an interim basis beginning Friday, Aug. 5,” Foley said in a statement from his office. “Sarah has been travelling abroad for the past two weeks and will return to the office on Thursday.”

Foley initially appointed former Tigers deputy athletic director Wren Baker as interim athletic director upon Rhoades’ departure for Baylor.

Baker then was appointed the new North Texas athletic director last Friday, prompting Foley to appoint himself as interim athletic director for the last week.

Reesman, a native of Boonville, Mo., has worked in the Mizzou athletics department since 1993 and was promoted to executive associate athletic director in 2009.

“Sarah will have my full support as she steps into this new role later this week,” Foley said.

Reesman serves as the administrative liaison for women’s basketball, swimming and diving, wrestling and volleyball, and also oversees the department’s human resources and gender equity, diversity and inclusion efforts.

In addition, Reesman is a key figure in academic support, student-athlete development, student conduct, employee contracts and spearheads the department’s strategic planning process.

Reesman graduated from Missouri in 1986 and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Minnesota law school in 1989.

Foley appointed her to his Advisory Committee for the Director of Athletics search on July 22 as the Mizzou athletics representative.

That committee also includes alumni representatives Darryl Chatman and Don Walsworth, University of Missouri System curator Phil Snowden and faculty athletics representative Christina Wells.

This story was originally published August 3, 2016 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Mizzou turns to Sarah Reesman as interim athletic director."