Josh Heird Named Interim AD for Louisville

Mark BlankenbakerDecember 13, 2021

Josh Heird, who has served as Deputy Athletic Director at the University of Louisville for nearly three years and has over 13 years of experience in athletics administration, has been named Interim Director of Athletics at UofL.

Heird was appointed to the position by Lori Stewart Gonzalez, who was named UofL’s interim president by the UofL Board of Trustees this morning. He enters his new role by replacing Vince Tyra, who left the Cardinals after four years at UofL.

Since his return to UofL in April 2019, Heird has served as the sport administrator for baseball, men’s basketball and football, as well as providing administrative oversight for championships, facilities/events, capital projects and equipment operations; plus sport oversight for men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s swimming and diving.

Heird served as Senior Associate Athletics Director/Chief Athletics Operating Officer at Villanova in 2018-19 after operating nearly two years as Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations and Finance. In those roles, he provided leadership for all internal units of the athletic department and had administrative oversight with finance and budget, capital projects, ticket and equipment operation, food service, camps and overall project and event management. He also was the sport administrator for the men’s lacrosse and men’s soccer programs, as well as the secondary administrator for men’s basketball.

Before moving to Villanova, Heird worked nearly 10 years at UofL (2007-16), most recently as Assistant Athletic Director for Championships and Facilities from 2012-16. In that role, he had oversight of capital projects approved by the UofL Athletic Association. He also assisted with the day-to-day management of facility operations. Heird was responsible for the management of all ACC and NCAA postseason events hosted by UofL.

During his time at Louisville, Heird helped design and oversee the construction of the Jim Patterson Baseball Stadium expansion, the Ulmer Softball Stadium expansion, the building of the Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Soccer Stadium, the lacrosse stadium press box, as well as the Thorntons Academic Center of Excellence.

Heird coordinated several postseason events hosted by Louisville, including the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Regional. Louisville also served as home to the 2015 and 2012 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country National Championships, the 2015 and 2012 Men’s Basketball Second and Third Rounds, the 2014 Women’s Basketball Regional, the 2012 Women’s Volleyball National Championship and the 2012 Field Hockey National Championship.

He began his career at UofL as Assistant Director of Championships in April of 2007 before being promoted to the Director of Championships in 2009. Before starting a career in collegiate athletics, Heird spent five years in Washington, D.C. working for Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho and Senator Wayne Allard of Colorado.

Heird is a 2002 graduate of Mississippi College, where he was a member of the cross country, track & field and football teams. In addition to being the American Southwest Conference 800-meter champion in 2001, Heird was an all-conference cross country selection in 2001 and was an academic all-conference honoree every semester of his career. He earned an MBA from Louisville in 2009.

Heird is married to the former Abbey Woolley. The couple has two children, Hadley and Gus.