Missouri hires Memphis athletic director Laird Veatch for the same role with the Tigers

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri hired longtime college administrator Laird Veatch to be its athletic director. The school is bringing him back to campus 14 years after he departed for a series of other positions that culminated with five years spent as the AD at Memphis. Veatch replaces Desireé Don Reed-Francois, who abruptly left last month for the athletic director job at Arizona. He takes over an athletic department that has had success this past season in football, wrestling and gymnastics, and has recently announced a $250 million project to renovate Memorial Stadium, the home of the Tigers’ football team.