PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Commissioner Mike Aresco has announced the hiring of Scott Draper as Associate Commissioner for Football at the American Athletic Conference.
Draper will be the conference's primary football administrator and contact for all football initiatives and programs, including scheduling, officiating, operations and bowl relationships. As the conference’s liaison with administrators and coaches from each member institution, Scott will work with the commissioner on football budgets and special projects and will also supervise the conference’s newly established Miami Beach Bowl game, beginning in 2014, and the conference’s football championship game, which will begin in 2015.
"I am extremely pleased to welcome Scott as a member of our senior staff," said Aresco. "He brings two decades of high-level administrative experience and expertise to this important role in our conference. Most notably, Scott spent nearly 15 years in various administrative and operational roles at of one of the premier programs in college football. Scott’s background and skills will be enormous assets to both our conference and our institutions.”
Draper joins The American after most recently serving as Associate Director of Athletics and Director of Development for Athletics at Albion College, a position he has held since 2011. Prior to that, he was the Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations at the University of Michigan, where he was a key staff member of teams that won four Big Ten Football championships, played in four Rose Bowls, 12 bowl games and won the 1997 National Championship. In his role, he supervised football sport administration, strength and conditioning, equipment operations, and athletic training operations. He also served as sport administrator and liaison to admissions, academic services, compliance and eligibility, and dining and housing.
Previously, he was a Football Offensive Graduate Assistant (1995-97) and Assistant Video Coordinator (1992-95) at the University of Michigan.
Draper holds a bachelor's degree in general studies from Eastern Michigan University (1994). He earned a master’s degree in business administration from Madonna University in 2012.
Comments About Scott Draper
“I’m really happy for Scott. I worked with him for eight years and have known him for nearly 20 years, and what strikes me is his relationships with people and the professionalism he conducts himself with. He is a high-character guy with a strong work ethic, and I know he will be great in this new role as Associate Commissioner for Football at the American Athletic Conference.”
- Brady Hoke, Head Football Coach, University of Michigan
“The thing that stands out about Scott is that he's paid his dues. He came to us as a student assistant, went on to become a graduate assistant, became our Director of Football Operations, and then an Assistant Athletic Director. He did a great job for us, particularly in terms of our bowl games and all of the things that go along with creating great experiences for the players and coaches. He really understands the student-athlete side of it. For me, his lasting legacy will be all of the planning he did for the new indoor football facility at Michigan, which is state-of-the-art. He's a team guy who has a lot of expertise, will work hard and will bring a lot of good ideas to his position.”
- Lloyd Carr, Head Football Coach, University of Michigan (1995-2007)
“Scott Draper has played a significant role in how the Rose Bowl Game has been shaped over the course of the Bowl Championship Series and College Football Playoff. His presence and leadership at the University of Michigan, while sitting on the Rose Bowl Game Advisory Council will be felt for many years to come”
- Kevin Ash, Chief Administrative Officer, Rose Bowl Game