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LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — UNLV Interim President Chris Heavey has announced a four-year contract extension for Director of Athletics Erick Harper.
Harper, who was named UNLV’s 14th permanent Director of Athletics on Jan. 1, 2022, is in his fifth year leading Rebel Athletics. He also served as the department’s interim athletics director from August 2021 through the end of that calendar year.
“UNLV Athletics has shown tremendous growth both academically and in competition under Erick’s leadership, and I’m excited to see that momentum continue,” Heavey said. “Our Rebel student-athletes have set records in the classroom and they’re competing and succeeding at the highest level. He has also made significant inroads in building philanthropic support for UNLV Athletics by leading the “Rebel Up” campaign, which is enhancing the student-athlete experience and creating a foundation for sustained growth well into the future.”
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Since Harper became director, UNLV Athletics has launched “Rebel Up,” the first athletics-specific capital campaign in university history, with a goal of $150 million. The campaign has generated more than $41 million in cash and cash equivalents, including $10 million to establish the Bill and Judy Boyd Endowment for student-athlete nutrition, $6.5 million towards a multi-use indoor facility, $10.5 million in newly established endowments, and additional commitments supporting scholarships, health and mental wellness, academic support, career development, nutrition, along with additional capital projects.
The department has also completed more than $7 million in capital improvements focused on the student-athlete experience, including facility enhancements at the Fertitta Football Complex, Thomas & Mack Center, Cox Pavilion, Eller Media Stadium, Peter Johann Memorial Field, and Lied Athletic Complex (Switch Sports Science Studio).
In competition, UNLV teams claimed 15 conference championships in Harper’s first four seasons, with 11 league Coach of the Year honorees and multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. UNLV also won the Silver State Series against UNR in each of the last four seasons (2022-23 through 2025-26).
Harper has hired 10 head coaches across football, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, track and field/cross country, and volleyball. Under his leadership, UNLV Athletics has won a combined 20 regular-season and conference tournament championships: baseball (1), women’s basketball (4 regular season, 3 tournament), football (2), men’s golf (1), women’s golf (2), men’s swimming & diving (4), women’s tennis (2), and volleyball (1).
Football, which ranks 10th in the nation for most regular-season wins since 2023, has made three consecutive bowl appearances for the first time in history and three straight Mountain West Championship Game appearances, earned its first national ranking in 2024, and saw season ticket sales increase 36% over the past three years. Football revenue grew from $5 million in 2023 to $7.1 million in 2024 and more than $7.5 million in 2025, an all-time school record.
Across the department, women’s basketball has won four consecutive regular-season championships and three Mountain West Tournament titles, men’s swimming and diving has won five consecutive WAC championships, and in 2025, UNLV was the only non-Power 4 school to have both its men’s and women’s golf teams advance to the NCAA Championships.
UNLV student-athletes have also set department academic marks during Harper’s tenure. Following the Spring 2025 semester, Rebel Athletics graduated a record 102 student-athletes, posted a collective GPA of 3.0 or higher for the 16th consecutive semester, reached a department-record 88% Graduation Success Rate, and recorded a department-best 987 Multi-Year Academic Progress Rate. In 2024, UNLV football led the nation with three CSC First Team Academic All-America honorees.
“UNLV is a special place, and I am grateful to Interim President Heavey for his confidence and support,” Harper said. “The progress we have made is the result of the work of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors, alumni, fans, and campus partners. We will continue to focus on the student-athlete experience, academic success, fundraising, community engagement, and competing for championships.”
Under Harper’s direction, UNLV Athletics expanded its multimedia relationship with Learfield, providing guaranteed revenue through the 2029-30 season, and added a partnership with Learfield’s Amplify division to support ticketing, premium sales, and philanthropy. The department has also expanded Name, Image, and Likeness and revenue-sharing opportunities for student-athletes, including the launch of Championship Resources.
Harper has served on the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee since 2022 and currently sits on two subgroups supporting FOC. He was the chair of the Mountain West Directors of Athletics in 2024-25, on the 2024 Super Bowl Host Committee board, and is an active board member on the Las Vegas Bowl Committee and Mountain West Recognition Committee. He was named Administrator of the Year for 2023-24 by The Leadership Playbook.
Before becoming athletics director, Harper served nine years as UNLV’s senior associate athletics director for development. He joined UNLV in 2012 after previous stops at the University of Arizona and Kansas State University. A former four-year starter and defensive back at Kansas State, Harper earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State in 1992 and a master’s degree in organizational management and leadership from Ashford University in 2013.
Harper and his wife, Dr. Patrice Hester-Harper, have two daughters, Sydney and Avery.
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