“The process, and how this was handled, was one of the many things that gave me comfort and confidence moving forward here. I was really impressed with President Rudd and our conversations.” – Laird Veatch, New Memphis AD
That process is what lead to Memphis choosing Laird Veatch, a 2016 NEXT UP honoree, to succeed Tom Bowen as Athletic Director.
Veatch spent the past two years at Florida as the executive associate athletic director for internal affairs. He has 25 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics having served at Texas, Missouri, Iowa State, and Kansas State. Even with all of that experience behind him, he still realizes this is uncharted territory for him.
“From the beginning, it was a job that I recognized had an incredible amount of potential,” Veatch explained. “The process began with a phone call from President Rudd, then lead to my family being flown to Memphis and ended with the job offer.”
“Laird’s a perfect fit for the University and our City,” Rudd said in a release. “As a former student-athlete, he brings a unique perspective and a wealth of experience at some of the nation’s leading athletic departments, along with a strong vision for the future, a keen understanding of a rapidly changing landscape, unparalleled integrity and energy, and a commitment to competing at the highest level.”
Veatch tells CollegeAD he sees tremendous potential in the University of Memphis.
“As an administrator, you look at several things, first of which is the people. I was very impressed with the president and the trustees, and the overall structure of their leadership.”
He went on to say he was equally impressed with how Memphis has invested in infrastructure, including the basketball practice facility and football complex.
“On top of the people and the infrastructure, you have a really passionate fan base and a very giving community, which I think speaks to the potential for growth.”
Veatch brings a strong fundraising background. At Florida, he led administrative oversight of capital improvement projects and served as the sports administrator for football while also being the primary liaison with Gator Boosters, the fundraising arm for Florida Athletics.
“What so exciting to me is how passionate the fanbase is and the larger community is for Memphis. Not just the university or the Athletic Department, but the actual community itself. People who live there just rave about it.”
This story first appeared in The NightCap, CollegeAD’s evening newsletter. The NightCap delivers the day’s college athletics news in simple bullet points, giving you what you need to know in just a few lines. Get The NightCap today.