IRVING, Texas – Commissioner Mike Aresco has announced the hiring of Karl Hicks, one of the nation’s foremost basketball administrators, as Associate Commissioner for Basketball at the American Athletic Conference.
 
Hicks will serve as the primary administrator for The American’s men’s and women’s basketball programs, including oversight of scheduling, officiating and game operations as well as compliance with NCAA governance. He will serve as the commissioner’s liaison with the men’s and women’s basketball coaches at The American’s 11 member institutions and will oversee the conference’s annual men’s and women’s basketball championships.
 
Hicks joins The American after serving as Managing Director/Regulatory Affairs at the NCAA national office for the last two years. That role followed a lengthy and successful career as a basketball administrator and coach at the collegiate and professional levels.
 
“I am delighted to welcome Karl Hicks to the American Athletic Conference,” said Aresco. “Karl is extremely well-respected across college athletics and has expertise and credibility that make him uniquely qualified to administer our men’s and women’s basketball. His wide-ranging experience at the institutional, conference, national office and professional levels will make him a valuable resource for our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and media partners.”
 
Hicks was Deputy Director of Athletics for External Operations at Florida State University from 2014-19 where he oversaw all athletics facilities and external departments. He additionally served as the sport administrator for men’s basketball, helping the Seminoles to three NCAA tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2018 and a Sweet 16 finish in 2019.
 
Before joining the staff at Florida State, Hicks was Senior Associate Commissioner for Men’s Basketball Operations at the Atlantic Coast Conference from 2007-14, where he had oversight of officiating, basketball operations and scheduling. He served as the tournament manager of the ACC Championship as well as two NCAA Championship sites and was the league’s basketball television liaison. Hicks served on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Competition Committee and Rules Committee from 2012-14 during his tenure with the ACC.
 
Hicks’ position with the ACC followed seven years at the professional basketball level. He was Assistant General Manager and Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations with the Charlotte Bobcats from 2003-07, where he oversaw a $48 million basketball budget, developed the franchise’s scouting system and was the primary basketball operations contact with the NBA office and other clubs. He was a member of the NBA front office staff from 2000-03, serving as Executive Director of the National Basketball Development League.
 
Hicks’ previous administrative experience includes two years as Assistant Commissioner for Institutional and Student Services at the Southeastern Conference, a brief stint as Director of Athletic Compliance at the University of Maryland and four years as an Enforcement Representative at the NCAA.
 
Hicks served as an Assistant Coach at American University and the University of New Hampshire. He is a graduate of New Hampshire, where he was team captain of the Wildcats’ 1983 ECAC championship basketball team as a senior. He went on to earn an MBA from Maryland in 1992.