JM Caparro has been named the 15th director of athletics, succeeding Billy Walker, who is retiring after more than 11 years in the role. Caparro—who will lead AU’s nearly 300 student-athletes across 16 varsity programs—will join the university on June 1.

Caparro has worked at Boston College for nine years, the last two as deputy director of athletics. Before that, he served as vice president of ticket sales and service for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. The native of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, is no stranger to the Patriot League, having graduated from conference rival Lehigh University, where he played varsity football.

“Together, the vision for our department will be simple: We’re going to put the student-athletes at the forefront of every decision that we make,” Caparro says. “We’re going to compete in the classroom and on the playing field, and we’re going to be extremely active in the community. If we do these things consistently, we will develop future leaders that the university will be proud of and provide the best possible experience for our student-athletes.”

Caparro joins AU at an exciting time of change. In March, the university broke ground on the Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance, the first new athletics and recreational construction in more than 30 years—and the cornerstone of the Student Thriving Complex.

President-elect Jon Alger, who also joins AU on July 1, says he’s looking forward to working with Caparro and “celebrating championships in Bender Arena, the Meltzer Center, and all our competition spaces.” 

“His innovative approach and deep understanding of current issues facing the NCAA and collegiate athletics will help AU and our student-athletes thrive,” Alger says.