THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE 2017 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE UConn gave The American its first NCAA title as the Huskies beat Michigan to win the 2014 men’s basketball crown ... ... while the UConn women followed with a win against Notre Dame the next night to The American’s place on the national stage was set in the take the second of four straight NCAA titles. conference’s first year as Breshad Perriman and UCF topped Big 12 champion Baylor in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. Temple’s Haason Reddick was the first of a league-record 15 players from The American taken in the 2017 NFL Draft. As of July 1, 2017, there were 118 players on NFL rosters who played in The American. Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds finished fifth in the voting for the 2015 Heisman Trophy and shared the AAU Sullivan Award — given to the nation’s top amateur athlete — with UConn’s All-America basketball player Breanna Stewart. The American’s success has not been limited to the playing Houston made it two New Year’s Six wins in three years for The fields. Tulsa’s Kirk Smith highlighted an impressive collection American as the Cougars rolled past Florida State in the 2015 of academic achievements for the conference with his Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. selection as a Rhodes Scholar in 2016. THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE Table Of Contents American Athletic Conference ............................................2-5 Commissioner Mike Aresco .................................................. 6-7 Conference Staff ......................................................................8-12 College Football Playoff ............................................................13 15 Park Row West • Providence, Rhode Island 02903 American Bowl Lineup .........................................................14-15 Switchboard - 401.244.3278 • Communications - 401.453.0660 The American On Television ....................................................16 www.TheAmerican.org The American Digital Network ................................................17 American Athletic Conference Notebook ........................18 American Athletic Conference Staff The Teams Commissioner ....................................................................................................................................................... Michael L. Aresco East Division Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer ..........................................................Donna DeMarco UCF Knights .............................................................................19-24 Senior Associate Commissioner (Broadcasting) ........................................................................................Tom Odjakjian School Quick Facts ..............................................................19 Chief Financial Officer ....................................................................................................................................................... Eric Ziady Storylines & Schedule ....................................................... 20 Associate Commissioner (Communications and External Relations) ............................... Bernadette Cafarelli Associate Commissioner (Football) .................................................................................................................... Scott Draper Coaching Staff .......................................................................21 Associate Commissioner (Governance and Compliance) ............................................................................Ellen Ferris Coaching Records ................................................................22 Associate Commissioner (Men’s Basketball) ...............................................................................................Nate Pomeday 2016 Statistics & Results .............................................. 23 Associate Commissioner (Women’s Basketball) ......................................................................................Barbara Jacobs Year-By-Year Results ..........................................................24 Associate Commissioner (Sport Administration and Championships) .........................................James Siedliski Cincinnati Bearcats ............................................................ 25-30 Assistant Commissioner (Communications) ................................................................................................Chuck Sullivan UConn Huskies .......................................................................31-36 Assistant Commissioner (Sport Administration and Championships) ....................................... Robert Weygand East Carolina Pirates ..........................................................37-42 Senior Director of Branding and Sport Administration ........................................................... Catherine Carmignani USF Bulls...................................................................................43-48 Senior Director of Communications and Digital Media .................................................................................... Bill Potter Senior Director of Compliance ...............................................................................................................................Andrea Dahly Temple Owls ............................................................................ 49-54 Senior Director of Football Operations ...........................................................................................................Michael Costa Senior Director of Sport Administration and Championships ........................................................... Patrick Colbert West Division Director of Business Affairs....................................................................................................................................... Karen Giblin Houston Cougars .................................................................55-60 Director of Communications ................................................................................................................... Chevonne Mansfield Memphis Tigers .....................................................................61-66 Assistant to the Commissioner .........................................................................................................................Lisa Zanecchia Navy Midshipmen .................................................................. 67-72 Assistant Director of Broadcast Scheduling ......................................................................................................Kauri Black SMU Mustangs .......................................................................73-78 Assistant Director of Digital Communications ...........................................................................................Gary Robinson Tulane Green Wave .............................................................. 79-84 Assistant Director of Digital Media and Reporter ........................................................................................ Hali Oughton Executive Assistant for Administration ...............................................................................................................Lois DeBlois Tulsa Golden Hurricane .....................................................85-90 Administrative Assistant ......................................................................................................................................... Wanda Factor Administrative Assistant for Compliance ..........................................................................................................To be named American Athletic Conference Almanac Receptionist ...........................................................................................................................................................Kathy Kirkpatrick 2016 In Review .....................................................................92-99 Administrative Fellow ...................................................................................................................................................To be named Final Standings ..................................................................... 92 Communications Intern...............................................................................................................................................Greg Barlow Bowl Results .......................................................................... 92 Communications Intern.......................................................................................................................................Alyssa Shannon Video Production Intern .............................................................................................................................................To be named Postseason Awards ........................................................... 92 Coordinator of Football Officiating ....................................................................................................................Terry McAulay All-Conference Teams ....................................................... 93 Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating ............................................................................................Mark Whitehead NCAA Leaders ........................................................................ 94 Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Officiating..................................................................................Debbie Williamson