Rick Villarreal named UNT athletic director

Former University of Southern Mississippi Associate Athletic Director Rick Villarreal was named UNT's new athletic director during a press conference on campus, Wednesday, April 4.

He had served as associate athletic director at Southern Miss for the past three years. Before moving into administration there, Villarreal was a football coach and football administrator from 1988 to 1997.

The announcement ends a four-month nationwide search for an athletic director, following the Nov. 22 resignation of Craig Helwig.

Villarreal brings more than coaching experience with him to UNT. While at Southern Miss, he served as a leading force in major gift fundraising. He initiated the Circle of Champions — a group of donors that pledges at least $100,000 each — which now stands at 48 members. He also spearheaded a fundraising effort that has resulted in the commitment of more than $8 million, leading to the construction of a new athletic center, a new baseball clubhouse and a women's softball stadium.

Prior to his coaching career, Villarreal proved himself a successful businessman as owner and operator of an eight-unit Domino's Pizza group in Decatur, Ga., and served as president of the Southeast Region Franchise Association (1984-86). His company generated sales that exceeded $5 million annually, and his stores were ranked in the top 20 percent in the country.

During the past three years, the University of Southern Mississippi's Golden Eagle football team advanced to four consecutive bowl games, the men's basketball team tied for the Conference USA regular season title and advanced to the NIT this season, and the women's softball program advanced to the NCAA College World Series each of the past two seasons.

At the press conference, Pohl spoke about Villarreal's qualifications and why he attracted UNT's attention.

"Rick Villarreal brings exceptionally relevant experience to the AD position at UNT," Pohl said. "His initial career in business combined financial expertise with customer service and a bottom-line orientation; his work as an assistant coach, as director of football operations, and more recently his very successful efforts in building student, alumni and community support for intercollegiate athletics is exactly what made him so attractive to UNT."

Villarreal spoke about his vision for the future of UNT athletics.

"My goal is to be at the top of the Sun Belt Conference in everything we do," he said. "The location of the school, the quality of student-athletes in the Metroplex and throughout the state of Texas, and the large number of alumni in the area are among the reasons for our potential for success."

Before joining the coaching staff at Southern Miss, Villarreal served as director of football operations and assistant athletic director at Texas Christian University from 1995 to 1997 for Coach Pat Sullivan.

From 1991 to 1995, he served on the coaching staff of Curly Hallman at Louisiana State University, where he started as tight ends coach and moved up to director of football operations and recruiting coordinator.

He got his coaching start under Hallman at Southern Miss, working from 1988 through 1990 as a student assistant, a graduate assistant, and a wide receivers, running backs and special teams coach.

The 43-year-old is a native of Gulfport, Miss., and a 1975 graduate of St. John High School. He received his bachelor's degree in coach and sports /administration from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1989. Rick and his wife D'Lynn are the parents of three children — Kimberly (20), Justin (17) and Tony (13).

Other featured articles in this issue

• Campaign North Texas making a difference
• Payroll deductions available for capital campaign contributions
• Inauguration date nearing
• UNT, Addison form partnership to create first North Texas Jazz Festival
• Honors, Alumni, University Day April 27
• UNT to celebrate Earth Day
• Denton groups support engineering programs
• Search on for new head basketball coach
• UNT gives the gift of life
• Graduate Student Council offering four scholarships
• TAMS student places ninth in Intel Science Talent Search
• Staff awards presented at sack lunch
• Acclaimed poet to visit UNT April 13
• Inhouse@UNT awarded for publication improvements
• Ideas sought from UNT to rename Avenue D/E
• Faculty Senate April meeting set

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