Mizzou interim chancellor takes on interim AD title

Mizzou interim chancellor Hank Foley will now also serve as interim athletic director. Former Mizzou interim athletic director Wren Baker officially accepted a job at North Texas to be its new athletic director on Friday.

“I regret the timing of this announcement would bring any negative light to Mizzou,” Baker said in a statement released by Mizzou Athletics. “Chancellor Foley has been tremendous to me, and I am thankful for his leadership during some challenging circumstances. As I’ve said many times the past couple weeks, Mizzou has much to be proud of.”

“We’d like to extend our best wishes to Wren and his family, who have extended family close to Denton,” Foley said. “For the past 14 months, Wren has been an instrumental part of Mizzou athletics, and we are sure he will do great things in Texas.”

Baker served as interim athletic director for a little more than two weeks. He replaced Mack Rhoades, who left to become Baylor’s next athletic director. Rhoades was with Mizzou for about 14 months.

Foley said Mizzou is in the midst of an aggressive search for a permanent athletic director. He calls it a “top priority” for him as chancellor. Foley said the search is “well underway.”

“The strength of Mizzou’s athletic department–as with the rest of our university–remains strong,” Foley said. “I am confident we will continue to attract top-notch candidates and select a new director for athletics that will bring about even greater success for Mizzou.”