UL Athletic Director Bryan Maggard Leaving for Missouri After 9 Years

LAFAYETTE, La. — The University of Louisiana at Lafayette confirmed Tuesday that Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Bryan Maggard has accepted a position as Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Missouri, closing out a run of more than nine years leading Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics.

UL President Dr. Ramesh Kolluru has named Deputy Athletics Director Trey Frazier interim director of athletics for the transition. A national search for Louisiana’s next Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics will begin in the coming months, the university said.

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Why Maggard Is Leaving

Maggard pointed to family as the driving factor behind the move, citing the recent birth of a granddaughter and the chance to live closer to relatives. He credited former UL President Dr. Joe Savoie with taking a chance on him as a first-time athletics director back in 2017, and thanked current President Kolluru for his support in recent years, both as a colleague and, later, as his boss.

The return to Missouri isn’t Maggard stepping into unfamiliar territory. He spent 22 years there earlier in his career before Louisiana hired him away, and Tuesday’s move puts him back inside a program he already knows from the inside.

The Numbers Behind Maggard’s Tenure

According to Louisiana’s release, Maggard’s near-decade in charge produced 21 Sun Belt Conference titles and 23 NCAA postseason appearances. The 2021-22 athletics year stood out above the rest, when Louisiana became the only program in the country to win Sun Belt championships in football, softball and baseball while also winning a bowl game in the same year.

Michael Desormeaux & Dr. Bryan Maggard

Louisiana football has reeled off eight straight bowl appearances since Maggard’s arrival, a streak matched by only five other programs nationally. UL President Kolluru’s statement also credited Maggard’s tenure with two Sun Belt football championships, five trips to the Sun Belt Championship Game and six College Football Playoff rankings.

On the fundraising side, Maggard oversaw the most successful campaign in department history, raising more than $30 million, landing a $15 million naming-rights gift and steering the $65 million Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium renovation to completion. He was also named to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee, and Louisiana’s student-athletes led the Sun Belt in community service hours for four straight years under his watch.

What Happens Next for Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics

Frazier, who also serves as executive director of the Ragin’ Cajuns Athletic Foundation, takes over as interim athletics director as the transition begins. UL has not released a timeline for when the search for Maggard’s permanent successor will wrap up.

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