Ryan Hooper was named Director of Athletics on October 1, 2021 after serving the previous eight years as the Associate Director beginning as the Interim in 2014.
As the Associate, Hooper had his hands in all facets of administration in the department providing assistance to the athletic director with other department activities while serving on numerous committees both on campus as well as within the SUNYAC. His main responsibility in the role was as the compliance director for over 450 student athletes. His duties also included game management for all home athletic contests, which included scheduling and training of student workers. Hooper oversaw all athletic facilities, including the scheduling and coordination of facility projects. He assisted in the building and strengthening of relationships with athletic department sponsors and was responsible for the organization of the Coaches’ Classic Golf and Dining for Champions, both major fundraisers for the athletics department. Hooper was also the direct supervisor for both the athletic training staff and the equipment room manager.
Hooper came to Oneonta from New Paltz, where he served as the assistant to the Director of Athletics. He oversaw numerous areas of the department during his tenure, including event management, the equipment room, summer camps, compliance, scheduling and officials’ assigning. A trusted member of then Athletics Director Stuart Robinson’s senior staff, Hooper also served as New Paltz’s administrative representative at various NCAA Championships. Hooper was instrumental in the operation of four State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championships hosted by New Paltz during his time at the College.
Prior to New Paltz, Hooper worked at Bard College during the 2009-10 academic year as its sports information assistant, and during that time, he also interned for the Skyline Conference. His tenure at Bard began in the winter of 2008 when he joined the staff as a statistician.
Hooper graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. A four-year member of the Red Dragons’ baseball team, Hooper helped Cortland capture four SUNYAC championships and make three NCAA Division III College World Series appearances. He gained Second-Team All-SUNYAC and Third-Team All-Region accolades in 2006 and was appointed the team’s captain for the 2008 season based on his leadership skills, achievement, and commitment to the program.
He was inducted into the SUNY Cortland Baseball Legends Club in the Fall of 2024.
Hooper earned a master’s degree from Cortland in Sports Management in May 2018.
Hooper currently resides in Oneonta with his wife Natalie, son Benson and daughter Charlotte.
