JM Caparro’s rise to the top job in American University Athletics started at the bottom of the Lehigh University football depth chart.
“I was so bad, my number was 81A,” says AU’s 15th athletic director, who came to the university in June from Boston College. “I had a letter attached to my number because there was another 81 on the roster. My friends still give me a hard time about that.”
It wasn’t until the undersized slot receiver hung up his cleats as a sophomore that he fully appreciated the magic of college sports—a realization that inspired his career in athletics administration. Now, his chief priority as AD is to ensure that AU’s 295 student-athletes seize every opportunity to succeed—on and off the field.
“They signed up to come to American University, so it’s our job to put forth the best four-year experience we possibly can,” Caparro says.
The Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, native learned to hustle during his 12 years working for the now Brooklyn Nets under his mentor, Fred Mangione. Caparro started with the NBA franchise straight out of college as a part-time sales representative, living with his parents and making $14,000 a year. By the time he left the organization for Boston College, he was managing $70 million in annual ticket sales.
Over nine years at BC—most recently as the Eagles’ deputy athletic director—Caparro’s responsibilities included developing and implementing strategic initiatives to maximize revenue. Caparro brought plenty of ideas to AU about how to apply that expertise to supporting our Eagles.
Caparro created a hospitality zone for fans in Bender Arena, which sells beer and wine during basketball games. He also refreshed the entrance to the athletics office—the first thing recruits see when they visit campus—by adding new graphics to the walls and installing more trophy cases to showcase AU’s tradition of winning.
At the Campus Store, Caparro is working with Follett to license new merchandise; he has also organized a brand collective licensing agreement that allows AU’s athletes to opt into profiting from their name, image, and likeness.
And while he’s eagerly anticipating the completion of the Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance and the Sports Center Annex in 2026, Caparro’s focus today is on improving training spaces, nutritional offerings, and mental health support services for AU’s athletes.
“JM is an accomplished athletic leader who prioritizes the holistic growth and success of student-athletes,” President Jon Alger says. “His innovative approach and deep understanding of current issues facing the NCAA and collegiate athletics will help AU and our student-athletes thrive. In his first semester on campus, JM has been a valuable, positive, and innovative partner on AU’s leadership team and a constant, supportive presence for student-athletes and our Athletics and Recreation staff.”
With Caparro at the helm, AU Athletics is poised to have an even bigger presence on campus, which will go a long way toward building more school spirit. He plans to lead by example in that effort, getting out of his office and helping Eagles to reach the next level.
“I’m never going to be the smartest one in the room, but I will be the biggest hustler in the room,” Caparro says. “I will outwork anybody. It’s easy to want to work as hard as I do because of our student-athletes.”