Ryan Kaiser is the Director of Athletics and Recreational Programs at the College of DuPage, beginning Jan. 6, 2020.
Kaiser is in his 23rd year working in athletic administration and sixth overall with the College of DuPage Chaparrals.
COD has re-established itself as a community college national power since Kaiser’s arrival. Since May 2021, the Chaps have won 16 NJCAA Division III championships -- men's track and field (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), women's track and field (2021, 2022, 2025), football (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), men's cross country (2022, 2024), women's volleyball (2022) and men's volleyball (2025).
COD proved to have the most successful community college athletic program in the country in 2022-23. The Chaps won three national championships in a span of 30 days, winning titles in men’s cross country, women’s volleyball and repeating in football. COD earned its fourth national title in the academic year with the men’s track and field team earning its third title in as many years.
The Chaps were honored with the 2022-23 Learfield Directors’ Cup for all community colleges, becoming just the second non-scholarship program to win the most prestigious award in all of intercollegiate sports since the program recognized community college athletic programs in 2012.
COD also has won two Daktronics Cup awards (2021 and 2023), awarded to the top non-scholarship division athletic program. The Chaps finished second in 2022 and 2025.
Kaiser previously served as the director of athletics at Lindenwood University-Belleville in Belleville, Ill., from 2016-2019. He oversaw 34 athletic teams with 47 full-time employees and more than 900 student-athletes. Under his direction, the school featured five individual national champions, multiple conference championships, and one team national championship. He also developed new systems for fundraising that enhanced the overall annual giving to the athletic department by more than $200,000 annually.
Before joining Lindenwood-Belleville, Kaiser was the associate AD for internal operations at Northwestern Oklahoma State University (2012-16). He led all financial initiatives and financial management for the department along with fundraising, development, marketing and strategic-planning assignments.
He was the athletic department’s spokesperson and led the transition from NAIA classification to NCAA Division II. He oversaw men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's rodeo and sports information.
From 2009-2012, Kaiser was the director of athletics at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Ore., overseeing all 13 NAIA competitive sports.
Prior to Warner Pacific, Kaiser was the associate AD for compliance and student services at Newberry (S.C.) College from 2005-09, and also served as an assistant AD at Western Oregon University (2004-05).
His resume includes being a graduate assistant in football and head men's golf coach at The Defiance College.
Kaiser earned a bachelor's of science degree in business administration from Oregon State in 2002 and a master's of education from Defiance College in 2004. He nears completion of his doctoral program from Northcentral University with an emphasis in sport management and leadership.
Ryan and his wife Corie are the parents of twin sons Carson and Caden Kaiser.
