KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The University of Missouri confirmed on Sunday that it's naming Desiree Reed-Francois as its new athletic director.
Reed-Francois is the first Hispanic female and woman of color athletics director at the Football Bowl Subdivision, according to the university.
She most recently served as the athletic director at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas since 2017.
“This is a transformational day for Mizzou Athletics,” said University of Missouri President Mun Choi in a press 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 will also become the first female athletics director at MU and also in a public institution in the Southeastern Conference.
“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,” Reed-Francois said in a press release. “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."
Reed-Francois will replace Jim Sterk who announced in July he would step down from athletic director for MU once the university found a replacement.
