Virginia names Carla Williams athletic director

Virginia has named Carla Williams its new athletic director, the school announced Sunday.

Williams served as an athletics administrator at Georgia for the past 13 years.

"The University of Virginia is excited to welcome Carla Williams to lead our athletics department," president Teresa Sullivan said. "Her experience as a successful student-athlete, coach, and senior administrator at the highest levels of Division I athletics is impressive. Equally impressive is her commitment to education and the academic pursuits of student-athletes. Carla will also be a dynamic contributor to the University and Charlottesville communities."

Williams will be the first female African-American athletics director at a Power 5 school.

"I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to lead one of the nation’s elite athletics programs," Williams said. "Academic achievement, athletic excellence, operating with integrity, a commitment to maximum effort at all times and a strong sense of teamwork and unity are the core principles that will guide our athletics department under my leadership."

Williams is taking over for Craig Littlepage, who announced his retirement last month.