Cuff to Step Down at Conclusion of 2025-26 School Year
January 22, 2026
After 33 years in education, Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) Executive Director Rob Cuff has announced his retirement effective July 31, 2026. Cuff joined the UHSAA staff 25 years ago in 2001 as an Assistant Director. He was hired as the sixth Executive Director in its 99-year history, a position he has held for the past 17 years.
Cuff said “It has been an honor and privilege to serve the UHSAA, our member schools and students for the past three decades. When I joined the UHSAA staff, I could not have imagined a more challenging and satisfying journey. The opportunity to serve as UHSAA Executive Director has been extremely rewarding.”
UHSAA Board of Trustees Chair Luke Rasmussen said, “Rob Cuff’s 25 years of service to high school activities in Utah has left an extraordinary and lasting legacy. His leadership helped shape one of the strongest and most respected high school sports cultures in the nation. Rob’s impact goes far beyond policies and programs—he has elevated opportunities for students, strengthened communities, and modeled what servant leadership looks like. He will be deeply missed, and his legacy will be incredibly hard to replace. I am profoundly grateful for his contributions to our state and honored to have worked with him in different capacities over the years.”
Cuff served as the President of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in 2021-22 and served a four-year term on the NFHS Board of Directors. During his tenure Cuff has previously served on two National Federation strategic planning committees, including serving as a sub-committee Chair. In 2018, he completed eight years on the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee, including four years as Chair of the committee. He is a former member of the NFHS Football Rules Committee, the Appeal Board, the National Records Committee, and the Annual Summer Meeting Advisory Committee. The NFHS Summer Meeting for all 51 state associations will be hosted by the UHSAA in Salt Lake City and Park City in June of 2026.
At the state level, Cuff is a member of several committees, including the Governor’s State of Sport Awards Committee, the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Directors. Additionally, he served several years on the state Board of Trustees for Special Olympics Utah.
In 2021, Cuff received the Award for Outstanding Service from the NFHS in recognition for his service and contributions in support of high school activities. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (UIAAA) Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his service and dedication to the high school students of Utah. He is recognized by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators (NIAAA) as a national certified athletic administrator or CAA. He has attended many state, section and national meetings, conferences and clinics as a UHSAA administrator, where he has been a regular speaker and presenter.
“Rob Cuff is a dear friend to the UIAAA,” said Executive Director of the UIAAA Everett Kelepolo. “His leadership and vision has guided Utah high school athletics and activities for many years. We are grateful for his influence, wisdom and dedication to the students of the great state of Utah!”
Cuff has overseen the largest expansion in athletics, activities and technology at the state level, and navigated the Association and its member schools through the COVID pandemic. It marked one of the most dynamic periods in UHSAA history. Cuff remembers the challenges and efforts it took to allow the sports and activities to continue participating safely. The UHSAA was the first state in the nation to hold high school football games in the fall of 2020. A special program initiated by Cuff was the “Raise the Bar” Statewide Sportsmanship Program which promotes the responsibilities that come with the privileges of participation in high school activities.
One of the biggest legacies Cuff leaves behind is the expansion of sports and the number of opportunities students have to compete. During Cuff’s time at the UHSAA, the Association added girls’ golf, boys’ lacrosse, girls’ lacrosse, girls’ wrestling, boys ‘volleyball, competitive cheer, and most recently the activity of Esports. The number of UHSAA member schools when Cuff arrived at the UHSAA was 122 with 85,000 participants. Today the number of UHSAA member schools is 160 with over 113,000 participants.
Executive Committee Chair Craig Hammer said, “It has been an honor to serve as the Executive Committee chair with Rob for the past 17 years. I have a deep respect for Rob and all he has done for the student athletes of this great state. I wish him well on the next chapter of his life!!”
Cuff began his career in education at Mountain View High School in Orem, UT, as an English teacher and the head boys’ basketball coach. The Bruins won two state championships and several region championships in his seven years of coaching. He guided the Bruins to seven consecutive to top five finishes, winning 83 percent of his state tournament games while compiling a 23-5 state tournament record. With an overall coaching record of 126-44 (.741), he has the most boys’ basketball coaching wins in Mountain View High School history. Getting into administration, Cuff served as the athletic administrator at Mountain View High School for a brief time, prior to moving onto his next position at the UHSAA. He was a high school certified football official for 12 years, officiating several state playoff games, including three state championship games.
A Utah native, Cuff graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and earned a Master of Arts Degree in Education from the University of Phoenix. He graduated from Richfield High School where he participated in several activities and sports.
Cuff concluded, “The most enjoyable benefit of being involved in education-based activities has been the relationships and friendships I have developed with such quality and dedicated people. I want to thank my staff over the years for their dedicated and determined work on behalf of UHSAA member schools. I also want to thank the support of my family, friends and all the people I worked with who have supported me throughout my career. Thank you to the very supportive UHSAA Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to serve this outstanding organization.”
The UHSAA Board of Trustees will now begin the process for selecting Cuff’s replacement and will release details at a future date.