Staff Directory
- Title:
- Director of Athletics
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Laird Veatch’s first year as University of Missouri Director of Athletics in 2024-25 was one of record-setting achievements, program milestones and a renewed focus on Mizzou’s “Will to Win” in a transformative time in college athletics.
Veatch steered Mizzou through a year that included the finalization of the “House vs. NCAA” settlement with a steady hand and a laser focus, which has positioned the Tigers to seize its opportunities in the coming years. All the while, competitively, in 2024-25, Mizzou saw a second-straight 10-win season by the football team, a return to the NCAA Tournament by the men’s basketball team, a national third-place finish by the gymnastics squad and a Sweet 16 appearance by the volleyball team. Additionally, three Mizzou student-athletes won individual national championships on the year (Helen Hu, balance beam; Jonathan Seremes, triple jump; Valentina Barrios, javelin). Veatch and team also hired nationally acclaimed women’s basketball coach Kellie Harper to lead the Tigers on the hardwood into the future.
Recognizing the need to modernize Mizzou’s fundraising structure to best align with the future, in year one Veatch also spearheaded a reimagining of the Tiger Scholarship Fund as the Mizzou Athletics Fund to more clearly align donor benefits with contributions that will be vital to Mizzou’s continued competitive success, and launched the Mizzou Leadership Circle to recognize and steward top donors who give above and beyond seat-related donations. Over 350 supporters have become members of the Mizzou Leadership Circle in year one.
On Nov. 30, 2024, Mizzou broke ground on the Memorial Stadium Centennial Project, a $250 million renovation to the north end zone of historic Memorial Stadium that will include enhancements to fan amenities and expanded premium area seating to ensure Memorial Stadium remains a premier venue for college football while honoring its tradition of excellence and service to Mizzou. By the end of 2024-25, ahead of opening prior to the 2026 football season, fundraising for the Memorial Stadium Centennial Project reached the $100 million mark of the athletic department’s $125 goal.
Highlights of a record-breaking 2024-25 fundraising year include a $25 million anonymous commitment to the stadium project, a generous philanthropic gift from longtime benefactor Audrey J. Walton to fund significant enhancements to Mizzou’s Audrey J. Walton Track and Field and Soccer Stadium and a total of 13 seven-figure gifts.
In the classroom in 2024-25, Mizzou student-athletes set a single-semester grade point average record of 3.44 in the fall and followed it up with a 3.40 in the spring, marking 17-straight semesters the department has notched an average GPA of 3.0 or higher. Mizzou also led the SEC and ranked 12th nationally in community service hours as recorded by HelperHelper.
Veatch, a former football student-athlete at Kansas State University, is a 25-year veteran of intercollegiate athletics and was named Mizzou’s Director of Athletics effective May 1, 2024 after serving in the same role at the University of Memphis since October 2019.
At Memphis, Veatch oversaw multiple facility projects and renovations, including an indoor football facility, a new tennis center, an Olympic sports weight room and nutrition center and the beginning of a $220 million renovation to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. In April 2024, Veatch’s forward-thinking NIL mindset was on display nationally, when Fortune 50 company FedEx announced a $25 million investment to create an innovative NIL program benefiting Memphis student-athletes who will be promoting FedEx initiatives.
Veatch is a leader who is familiar to many in the Mizzou community. He spent five years at Mizzou from 1997-2002, the last three as assistant athletic director for development, where he oversaw the department’s fundraising activities with an emphasis on facility and capital fundraising projects. Veatch also served as general manager of Mizzou Sports Properties from 2003 to 2006 and as regional vice president for Learfield Sports in Missouri from 2006 to 2010. At Mizzou, Veatch managed the Tiger Scholarship Fund annual giving program and directed the department’s comprehensive capital campaign.
Veatch also has served in athletics administrative positions at the University of Texas (1995-97), Iowa State University (2002-03), Kansas State University (2010-2017) and the University of Florida (2017-19).
In 2010, Veatch returned to his alma mater and held several positions in Kansas State’s athletics administration, most recently as deputy athletic director and chief of staff (2016-17). Veatch’s first experience in the SEC came at Florida, where he served as executive associate athletic director for internal affairs from 2017 to 2019.
Veatch began his professional career in 1995 at the University of Texas, assisting with the development program as well as the external affairs area as a graduate assistant while earning his master's degree in sports administration in 1997.
Veatch received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Kansas State in 1995 where he was a four-year letterman at linebacker for College Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder from 1990-94 and served as team captain as a senior. He was a starter on K-State's Copper and Aloha Bowl teams in 1993 and 1994 and earned honorable mention All-Big Eight Conference honors in 1994.
He was also a two-time CFA Academic All-American, was Academic All-Big Eight four times and was a Hitachi/CFA Scholar-Athlete in 1994.
Veatch and his wife, Brandy, have three daughters, Jordyn, Taylor and Sydney, and one son, Dru.
