Mizzou set to embark on search for new athletic director

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The search for a new leader for Mizzou Athletics has started after news became public that former athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois took a job in Arizona.

It was announced on Monday that Reed-Francois is moving on after about two and a half years in Missouri. Marcy Girton has been named interim athletic director.

While there is no official word on how MU will conduct its search for the next AD, the search for Reed-Francois in 2021 was a short but extensive one.

A press release dated July 2021 from the university says a search advisory committee had been formed to find the next athletic director. The committee consisted of university leaders and stakeholders, including multiple curators and alumni. It was chaired by current curator Jeff Layman.

The search advisory committee also hired Parker Executive Search firm, which the press release notes had done previous head coach searches for Mizzou Athletics.

The university did not say how much the search cost at the time.

The search firm's website shows they hire sports executives within about 4-5 weeks by first defining the objectives of the search, then assessing candidates, holding interviews and negotiating.

The search for Reed-Francois lasted only a couple of weeks. It was announced former athletic director Jim Sterk was stepping down on July 26, 2021, and the university named Reed-Francois as its athletic director on August 8, 2021.

The search for Sterk was also relatively quick, lasting less than a month. ABC 17 News reported that his predecessor, former athletic director Mack Rhoades, left Mizzou on July 13, 2016. Sterk's hire was announced by the university on August 9, 2016.

University officials and Parker Executive Search were not immediately available for comment Tuesday to talk about the new search.

Mizzou's next athletic director will be its 22nd athletic director in university history and the fourth since 2015.