Desiree Reed-Francois is a 1994 graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she was a member of the rowing team. She earned a law degree from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1997. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) named her athletic director in April 2017 after she had served as Virginia Tech’s deputy athletic director for three years overseeing the football program and other day-to-day operations for 22 programs and more than 600 student-athletes. She previously held the position of senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator for the University of Cincinnati. With her AD appointment at UNLV, Reed-Francois became the first Hispanic female athletic director at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. She recently announced, along with Dr. Keith E. Whitfield, UNLV’s president, an $8 million gift from the James J. Baumberger estate to provide scholarship and strategic support for the Runnin’ Rebels men’s basketball program and UNLV Lady Rebels student-athletes. According to the university, it was the largest estate gift in UNLV Athletics history.
