Little Rock Announces Contract Extension for Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Frank Cuervo

Frank M. Cuervo has agreed to a four-year contract extension to continue serving as Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, securing his leadership of the Trojans through the 2029-30 academic year.

Since arriving at Little Rock in 2024, Cuervo has helped elevate Trojan Athletics across the department’s three pillars of success — Classroom, Community and Competition — while positioning the program for continued growth and long-term success. His tenure has been marked by record-setting academic achievement, enhanced community engagement, competitive excellence, expanded fundraising and revenue generation, and strategic planning to strengthen the department’s future.

“Frank has brought tremendous leadership, energy and vision to Trojan Athletics,” said UA Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale. “His commitment to our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and the greater Little Rock community has helped move our department forward in meaningful ways. Frank and his team have established a strong foundation for continued growth. We are excited about what lies ahead for the Trojans under his leadership.”

Under Cuervo’s direction, Little Rock Athletics has embraced a new era of competition as a founding member of the United Athletic Conference, creating new opportunities for the department’s 15 intercollegiate programs. The department has also strengthened its coaching leadership, hiring new head coaches in men’s basketball (Travis Ford), volleyball (Aubrey Becker), cross country (Jordyn Naylon), and women’s basketball (Steve Wiedower), while securing contract extensions for several of its most successful head coaches, including baseball (Chris Curry), wrestling (Neil Erisman), women’s golf (Jenna Birch) and men’s golf (Austin Eoff) — all recognized as conference Coach of the Year honorees.

The department’s commitment to excellence has been reflected across all three pillars of the Trojan Athletics experience.

• Classroom: Student-athletes continue to excel academically, highlighted by a department-wide grade-point average of 3.55 for the 2025-26 academic year, with all 15 programs achieving a 3.0+ GPA. 
• Community: Remaining deeply connected to Central Arkansas, the Trojans have contributed more than 6,000 hours of community service annually. Through outreach, service initiatives and engagement, the department continues to strengthen its role as a source of pride.
• Competition: Little Rock has captured 12 conference championships during Cuervo’s tenure, claiming the league’s overall Conference Cup championship in 2024 before finishing as runners-up in 2025 and 2026, demonstrating the department’s broad-based competitive success across its programs.

Cuervo has also prioritized strengthening the department’s financial foundation and relationships with its supporters. Through increased engagement with donors, fans and corporate partners throughout Arkansas, Trojan Athletics has generated growth in fundraising, ticket sales and corporate sponsorships. At the same time, Cuervo has spearheaded departmental operational planning and facility master-planning efforts designed to align resources, improve operations and support long-term needs.

“I am incredibly grateful to Chancellor Drale, (University of Arkansas System) President (Jay B.) Silveria, the UA System Board of Trustees, and the UA Little Rock Board of Visitors for their continued trust and confidence in my leadership of Trojan Athletics. It is a privilege to serve this institution,” said Cuervo. “I am equally proud to work alongside our outstanding coaches and staff in supporting the student-athletes who represent the State of Arkansas, the Capital City and the Trojans with pride and distinction.”

“We’ve made significant progress together, reflecting the collective commitment of so many who believe in the future of Trojan Athletics. Our focus remains on strengthening relationships, generating new resources and building the championship culture necessary to compete at the highest level while providing an outstanding experience for our student-athletes,” added Cuervo. “I look forward to continuing this work alongside University leadership, alumni, donors, fans, and the entire Trojan Family as we build on that progress and move forward together.”

A former student-athlete, Cuervo brought 27 years of collegiate athletics administration experience to Little Rock. Prior to his appointment, he held senior administrative and fundraising positions at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Indiana University, and the University of Missouri, in addition to leadership roles with Van Wagner, a leading, full-service sports advertising and entertainment agency.

His background as both a student-athlete and athletics administrator has shaped a leadership approach centered on competitive excellence, accountability, relationship-building, and the overall development of student-athletes.

Cuervo and the Trojan Athletics leadership team will continue to focus on building upon the department’s academic and competitive accomplishments, expanding financial resources, enhancing the student-athlete experience, and strengthening Little Rock’s connection with the Trojan Family throughout Arkansas.