Memphis Athletics Announces Promotions, New Hire

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Laird Veatch has announced the promotions of Lauren Ashman to Deputy Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator and Taylor Sanderson to Associate Athletic Director, Development, as well as the hiring of Tua Reilly as Assistant Athletic Director, Compliance.

"We are proud to announce well-deserved promotions for Lauren Ashman and Taylor Sanderson, and we are thrilled to welcome Tua Reilly to the Memphis Athletics family," Veatch said. "Lauren provides rock steady leadership for our entire department and is a trusted sounding board for me personally, and her promotion is extremely well earned. Taylor is a rising star in our industry and has made significant impacts on our leadership giving initiatives, and he will take on a significant role during the upcoming renovations to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Tua brings a wealth of compliance knowledge to Memphis, and she will make an immediate impact on our department.

"Memphis Athletics took a step forward today, and the future continues to be extremely bright for our department."

Ashman has been a member of Veatch's executive staff since January 2020. In addition to her role as Memphis' Senior Woman Administrator, Ashman serves as the chair of the American Athletic Conference's Senior Woman Administrators/Olympic Sports Committee. Her new responsibilities as Deputy Athletic Director include an enhanced focus on Memphis' 901Women initiative in order support further growth, progress and resource generation to impact Memphis Athletics and its women's sports programs, student-athletes, coaches and staff, along with strategic leadership of sports medicine, sports performance, nutrition and mental health.

Prior to joining Memphis, Ashman spent the four-and-a-half years as the Senior Associate Athletics Director, Title IX Deputy Coordinator and SWA at Bowling Green State University. At Bowling Green, Ashman created, implemented and enforced department protocol including catastrophic emergency response planning, sexual assault reporting and sexual harassment. She also developed comprehensive educational programming for student-athletes, coaches and staff specific to mental health concerns, sexual assault, illness and personal emergencies.

A 2004 graduate of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Sport Management, Ashman was recognized as the Slippery Rock Sport Management Alumnus of the Year in April of 2017. She was also inducted as a member of the inaugural class of the SRU Sport Management Hall of Fame in 2022.

Sanderson joined the Memphis Athletics staff in December 2021. He is tasked with management of the Tiger Leadership Circle, leadership giving initiatives and premium seating sales.

Before Memphis, Sanderson spent 2018-21 as Director of Development, Major Gifts at the University of Missouri, where one of his team's accomplishments included breaking the school's all-time fundraising record by raising $55 million in 2020-21. Prior to that, Sanderson spent a year and a half at the University of Nebraska as Development Assistant.

Sanderson earned his bachelor's degree in Finance and Management at Iowa State University in 2016, where he was a two-time All-American decathlete and Big XII champion for the Cyclones. He also competed for the United States National Team in the decathlon in the 2017 Pan American Cup. Sanderson earned his master's degree in Business from Nebraska in 2018.

Reilly comes to Memphis after a year at Missouri State University, and prior to that she spent 16 years at Tennessee State University. At Memphis, she will be tasked with leading rules education efforts for coaches, staff, student-athletes, boosters and external groups, overseeing all initial eligibility items, reviewing eligibility of incoming transfers and serving on the certification committee for current student-athletes, among other duties.

Prior to serving as Assistant Athletic Director, Compliance at Missouri State, Reilly's 16-year Tennessee State tenure included eight years as Assistant Athletic Director, Compliance and Student Services. She previously served as the compliance coordinator for six years, was an intern in the compliance office during and came to the Nashville campus in 2006 as a graduate assistant for the volleyball program.

Reilly received her associate's degree from Missouri State-West Plains in 2001, earned her bachelor's degree in Fitness & Wellness Management from North Carolina A&T in 2004 and secured a master's degree in Sports Administration from Tennessee State in 2008.

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Athletics, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the department's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

University of Memphis Athletics

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