Jeff Crane named Memphis' interim AD as university searches for Laird Veatch replacement

Memphis deputy athletic director Jeff Crane has been named interim athletic director, university president Bill Hardgrave announced Tuesday.

Crane takes over after the departure of Laird Veatch, who left for the athletic director job at Missouri. His hiring was officially announced on Tuesday morning.

Crane came to Memphis in 2019 after a brief stint at South Carolina-Upstate and 12 years in various roles at South Carolina. He's a likely candidate for the full-time job.

He's the football team administrator and has been very involved in the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium renovation project. University officials announced last month that they plan to break ground on the $220 million renovations ahead of the 2024 football season.

In a statement, Hardgrave said Crane will serve as interim AD while officials "explore our options in the coming weeks."

"Tiger Nation, as you are aware, we have tremendous momentum within our University and Athletic Department," he said. "You can rest assured we will maintain that positive trajectory through this leadership transition. This position deserves the best and brightest leadership talent in collegiate athletics. Our next leader will share the vision of where we are heading as we continue to build our promising future in Tiger Athletics."

It's been a busy few months for the Tigers' athletic department. Just last week, FedEx pledged $25 million over five years to name, image and likeness deals for Tigers athletes.

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Jeff Crane named Memphis interim athletic director