Memphis hires Ed Scott as next athletic director

The University of Memphis has hired Dr. Ed Scott as its next senior vice president and athletic director, the school announced Wednesday.

Scott, who replaces Laird Veatch following his departure to Missouri, has been the deputy athletic director at Virginia since January 2022. He’ll be formally introduced during a press conference Friday.

His duties at UVA included oversight of sports medicine, strength and conditioning, nutrition, sport psychology, men’s basketball, baseball, swimming & diving, track & field and cross country and diversity, equity and inclusion. He also assisted in football oversight as a special advisor to the head football coach.

Scott spent more than five years as Morgan State’s athletic director prior to his hiring at Virginia, and won the 2021-22 Cushman & Wakefield Athletic Director of the Year award from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

“The University of Memphis is a destination for me, and it has been on my radar for some time,” Scott said in a press release. “With exceptional student-athletes, coaches and staff that have the backing of a proud and motivated city, the opportunity is here to accomplish great things as we continue forward in a new era of intercollegiate athletics. I want to thank President Hardgrave for giving me this opportunity. My family and I are excited to join Tiger Nation.”

Scott—now Memphis’ third athletic director since 2012—is also the first Black athletic director in school history. But that’s far from what won him the job, according to Dave North, who served as chair of the Athletics Director Search Advisory Committee.

“When we started this search, I said we were looking for an innovative, bold leader who will bring our athletic program into the next era, and Ed Scott is that leader,” North said in the press release.