LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV President Dr. Keith E. Whitfield formally introduced Erick Harper as the University's 14th full-time Director of Athletics on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center's Board Room.  
 
Harper, 53, had served as the department's interim AD since August but took over the full-time role January 1 and met with the media for the first time.
 
"We spent the last four months working diligently to identify the next leader of UNLV Athletics," Whitfield said. "Our goal was to have the search completed by the first of the year, because we knew the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve. And we have lots of work to do to ensure we're strategically positioned to be competitive. I will say that we went through a national search process with a very, very open mind. We were curious what people outside the market knew about UNLV and who would be interested in leading Rebel Athletics. We had lots of great candidates apply, which told us a lot about where we're at in terms of being a program in a city that is known now for athletics and sports competition.
 
"We had people from all over the country apply for our job, including individuals from Power Five conferences," said Whitfield. "But at the end of the day, we went with somebody very familiar with UNLV. And very familiar with Las Vegas. Many of you know Erick Harper. He's been with UNLV Athletics in various roles for nearly a decade and in college athletics for more than 30 years. His resume includes experiences at Power Five conferences, including the Pac-12, and Big 12. He's been involved in fundraising, compliance, leadership and administration, strategic planning and community engagement. But beyond that, he's vested in this community. He's invested in UNLV. He's terrific at building partnerships and great at strengthening existing relationships. He's also very familiar with UNLV's coaches, staff and boosters and is familiar with the university as a whole. He provides a strong connection between UNLV Athletics and the community and has a clear vision for our program going forward. For all of those reasons, and more, he's the right individual to lead UNLV Athletics."

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Whitfield presented Harper with customized "HARP" Rebel gear along with a special piece of Las Vegas-themed artwork created by UNLV alumna and local artist Zhe Zhang.
 
"Wow. This is exciting," Harper said during his opening remarks. "I'm so honored and grateful to be here. I feel so blessed to be standing before you this morning. My journey to this day has been filled with so much love and compassion from family members and friends. This day would have never been possible without the love and support of my parents and entire family. I'd like to express my gratitude to those who believed in me and supported me during my journey. My lovely wife, Patrice. She is a UNLV graduate – undergrad, master's and currently working on her doctorate. I met her here at UNLV and am very thankful for her support."
 
Harper served the last nine years as UNLV's senior associate athletics director for development and was appointed interim athletics director on August 16. He will continue to oversee all aspects of the athletics program and the Thomas & Mack Center, including general operations, fiscal affairs, facilities, strategic planning and external relations.
 
"President Whitfield, thank you for this incredible opportunity," Harper said. "I'm so humbled to be a part of your team leading this great University. You're assembling a talented group of leaders that will do, and already has done, amazing things during the early part of your tenure. We will succeed because of your leadership, great vision, attitude, passion and commitment to excellence for all of our students.
 
"I started this journey becoming an athletic director in 1990 as an intern at Kansas State University. I'm a servant leader that is humble, caring and committed to excellence. As a department, we will serve our student-athletes and coaches in the best possible way. As Simon Sinek says, 'True leadership is not about being in charge, it's about those in your charge.'
 
"We will care for our staff, our student-athletes, our community on campus and the greater Las Vegas community. We have more than over 500 student-athletes and I look forward to continuing my work every day to make their experiences great. We also have over 220 staff members and I'm extremely excited to continue working alongside each and every one of you to achieve greatness. We will have a culture of perseverance built on trust, empathy, compassion, care, growth and accountability. We will have a championship culture that embraces a dedication to ensuring our student-athletes graduate, win championships and excel at all levels. Rebels make it happen."
 
Harper joined UNLV as senior associate athletics director for development in 2012 and has overseen fundraising efforts for the department and served as a sport administrator for multiple sports, including football and women's golf. Prior to UNLV, Harper was associate athletics director for football operations at the University of Arizona from 2003-11. He began his athletics administrative career at Kansas State (1990-2003), where he served in development, marketing, and compliance roles and as a sport administrator for multiple sports.
 
Harper received his bachelor's degree in 1992 from KSU, where he was a four-year starter and standout defensive back for the Wildcats football team. He later earned a master's in organizational management and leadership from Ashford University in 2013. Harper and his wife, Patrice Hester-Harper, have two daughters, Sydney (14) and Avery (5).