Report: U of L to name Josh Heird full-time athletic director

According to Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, the University of Louisville is set to name interim athletic director Josh Heird as its new permanent AD.

Forde reports that U of L interviewed multiple other candidates, all of them sitting athletic directors, before deciding on Heird.

Following Vince Tyra’s abrupt departure from the position, Heird was named as Louisville’s interim AD on Dec. 13, 2021. He worked in the U of L athletic department from 2007-2016, serving as the Assistant Athletic Director for Championships and Facilities from 2012-16. He then left for Villanova in 2016, working as the associate AD for internal operations and finance for nearly two years before spending the 2018-19 athletic season as senior associate athletics director and chief athletics operating officer. He returned to U of L to serve as deputy athletic director in 2019.

“I am really, really excited about this opportunity,” said the 41-year-old Heird at the time. “Thank you to Dr. Lori Gonzalez for believing in me. To be given the opportunity to lead this athletic department, it means the world to me. As these conversations have transpired, I haven’t had an ounce of anxiety because this athletic department is in unbelievable shape.

“I really have one goal as I think about near term, long term, what will transpire with this athletic department, and it’s for everybody who is associated with his university and this community to be proud to put that bird head on their chest. That’s it. That’s all it comes down to.”

Since stepping into the position, Heird has worked through a “mutual parting of ways” with men’s basketball head coach Chris Mack, and then navigated a subsequent coaching search which resulted in the hiring of Kenny Payne.

Josh has been nothing but rock solid both in front of the mic and behind the scenes since ascending to this position. He also seems to have the respect and the full support of those around him. I’m very good with this.