Josh Heird Extended Through 2030 -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

ULAA Votes to Extend Heird Through 2030

Photo by GoCards

Fans flocked to social media Sunday evening and Monday morning following the announcement of a special ULAA meeting scheduled for 3:00pm Monday. There was no expected bad news that anyone seemed to know about in advance, but the topic of personnel matters certainly raised concerns across CardNation. It's crazy to think Louisville and the fans have been through that much craziness and trauma that everyone's minds went straight to bad news.

In fact, we were blessed with good news as the University of Louisville Athletic Association (ULAA) Board voted to extend the contract of Josh Heird through 2030. Heird, whose title is University of Louisville Vice President and Director of Athletics, had been 2.5 years through a five-year contract.

The move is not official yet. The ULAA Board does not get final say. It now passes onto the Louisville Board of Trustees, who are scheduled to meet this coming Thursday at 1:00pm. There is every indication that the UofL BOT will approve the contract extension.

Photo by Sports Illustrated 

"This is a vote of confidence that I want to be able to provide," said UofL president Kim Schatzel. "I am happy to take this to the board. I believe that we have one of the finest athletic directors in the country serving the University of Louisville, and the building of the team and confidence and performance he has brought to the athletic department are things we want to continue. He's the right person for the role."

Heird has already played a critical role in the two most profitable programs at UofL- football and men's basketball. He oversaw the departure of Scott Satterfield and the hiring of current football coach Jeff Brohm. Brohm is 18-8 with an ACC Championship game appearance under is belt in two years.

Heird also helped with the negotiation of Chris Mack's exit during the 2021-2022 men's basketball season. Following the recommendation and support of major donors, Heird hired Kenny Payne. However, after two unsuccessful years, Heird negotiated the departure of Payne and the hiring of current basketball coach Pat Kelsey. 

Note: Heird was interim AD at the time of Mack's departure and the hiring of Payne.

Josh Heird and Amy Calabrese at UofL Volleyball

With Heird as AD, Louisville has been selected as a host location for the NCAA Championships for volleyball (2024) and field hockey (2026). Louisville as also been selected to host the first and second rounds of the 2027 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. 

Following the 2023-2024 season, nine Louisville teams advance to the postseason. Louisville All-Girl Cheer won its 10th consecutive NCA National Championship. On the academics side, Louisville had a 93% graduation rate and set another record for number of student-athletes on the AD Honor Roll.

From a financial standpoint, UofL has been able to work and structure new deals since Heird arrived. Louisville finalized a $41 million deal for the naming rights to change Cardinal Stadium to L&N Stadium. Louisville also finalized an agreement with Angel's Envy to rename the Brown and Williamson Club to the Angel's Envy Club at the football stadium. UofL also recently formed a partnership with local bourbon brand Mr and Mrs Bourbon. 502 Circle, Louisville's first NIL collective, was founded and partnered with UofL in 2022.

Heird is the third full-time athletic director Louisville has had in nearly 30 years. Tom Jurich served i as AD from 1997-2017. Vince Tyra served in the same role from 2018-2021. 

There are plenty of folks who still look back on the Jurich days or Tyra days, but Heird has been finding ways to help balance the ever-growing Athletics budget, especially with increased travel costs due to the addition of Stanford, California, and Southern Methodist to the ACC. Heird has also been a regular to several Louisville Athletics events.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared