LAS VEGAS - December 17, 2009 - UNLV President Neal Smatresk announced today that University of Arizona Athletic Director Jim Livengood has been offered and has accepted the position of director of intercollegiate athletics (pending contract approval by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents). Though his formal start date has not yet been determined, Livengood plans to devote immediate attention to hiring a new head football coach and other football coaching staff.
"I've never been more excited and energized about an opportunity to guide the direction of an athletics program than I am here at UNLV," said Livengood. "This is a great time to join the Rebel Athletics family, and I intend to work my tail off to lead UNLV athletics to the next level, starting with football."
"Jim Livengood is an experienced leader who knows how to build and successfully maintain an athletics program, and we are pleased to have him at UNLV," said UNLV President Neal Smatresk. "Jim will hit the ground running, and I'm confident that he will be able to make the changes necessary to drive a competitive, fiscally responsible program that will move UNLV athletics forward in a big way."
"I have had the pleasure of working with Jim Livengood for many years and look forward to continuing that relationship with such a consummate professional," said Craig Thompson, Mountain West Conference commissioner. "His administrative experience, national contacts and creative thinking will serve UNLV and the Mountain West Conference very well."
Livengood has been the director of athletics at the University of Arizona since 1994. Under his leadership, the university earned 10 team NCAA Championships and has been consistently ranked among the nation's 25 best overall programs, as ranked by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). In 1999, Livengood was named the NACDA National Athletic Director of the Year for Division 1-A.
Known for his fiscal leadership, Livengood helped Arizona remain one of the few programs nationally to operate in the black. He guided the Campaign Arizona initiative, which raised more than $150 million for athletics facilities improvements and endowments. He was also responsible for a cooperative partnership between the athletics program and the university that donated $500,000 each year to the university's general fund.
Prior to this post, he was director of athletics at Washington State University (1987 - 1993), director of athletics at Southern Illinois University (1985 - 1987), associate director of athletics, development and public relations at Washington State University (1980 - 1985), and held several high school coaching positions (1969 - 1980). Livengood earned a bachelor's degree in education from Brigham Young University in 1968. Jim and his wife, Linda, have two grown children.
