The Mountain West hired Gloria Nevarez, who has been leading the West Coast Conference for the past five years, to be its next commissioner on Friday.
Nevarez replaces longtime commissioner Craig Thompson, who announced his retirement in September. She will take over Jan. 1 and become the second woman to lead a major college football conference, joining Conference USA's Judy MacLeod.
"We will be aggressive. We will be innovative. We will be inclusive, and we will keep our focus on the student-athletes that call the Mountain West Conference home," Nevarez said during a conference call with reporters.