ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The University of Missouri officially found a new athletic director, naming former Memphis Athletic Director(AD) Laird Veatch for the same role, and officially introduced the hiring Friday.
Veatch has plenty of ties to the school with Veatch having worked a part of the University of Missouri Athletic Program from 1997-2002 in a variety roles including as an assistant athletics director for development in his last three years.
He left the program to be general manager for Mizzou Sports Properties at Leerfield Sports, where he coordinated all multimedia activities within the Missouri Athletics Department's external operations team and directed all Mizzou Sports Properties staff, activities and performance.
Veatch joined KMOX Sports Director Tom Ackerman on Sports On A Sunday Morning and while he is less than a week on the job, he says he's already impressed by some things in the program, particularly by Mizzou Football Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz.
"Obviously there is the success, the winning and the year he just had, but even in my early conversations with him, he is incredibly sharp," said Veatch. "He's a CEO coach, and in this era, that is exactly who you need. You have to have someone who see beyond the X's and O's and is willing to adapt and adjust, figure out how to find advantages and push things forward because it's a strange time in College Athletics."
In a world where Name, Image and Likeness has completely changed college sports, along with the wild west known as the Transfer Portal, Veatch credits Drinkwitz for being able to be innovative and find success in this new world of College Athletics.
"That strange time also creates opportunity and he has been able to figure out ways to try to take advantage of that and position an institution that hasn't had the level of traditional success many in the SEC had, the biggest and most challenging conference in the country," said Veatch. "(Drinkwitz) has been able to find and make the right kind of moves given the position and they continue to be successful."
Veatch says his role is simple: to help and support the coaches all across the program like Drinkwitz, to be successful, as Veatch they are the ones who are the most important to the program.
"They make or break our success," said Veatch. "Ultimately for me, it's partnering with (Drinkwitz), figuring out ways I can help him and ultimately we get the resources we need to be successful."