Former Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins executive Adrien Bouchet was recently named the new director of the DeVos Sports Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida. Bouchet’s hiring follows the retirement of sports industry pioneer, author and activist Richard Lapchick, who helped put the 20-year-old project on the map. Bouchet spent 12 years at the University of Tulsa, where he took over a global ranking program that provided a talent pipeline for the sports business industry.
“Of course I know Richard Lapchik. We read his books in the classroom,” Bouchet said, “I know it’s a highly regarded program.” For years, DeVos has been recognized as one of America’s top sports Commercial projects Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Forbes Magazine. The program just ranked eighth in the world sports business in its 2022 graduate rankings.
The DeVos program offers students the opportunity to earn a master’s degree in sports business management and an MBA degree. Minors are also available. The program is also home to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES), which publishes an annual report card on race and gender in professional, collegiate and amateur sports. A widely publicized transcript helps hold the league accountable for its employment of diverse and inclusive employees.
Before joining UCF, Bouchet was the Warren Clinic Professor of Sports Business in Tulsa. He is a Fulbright Fellow (Portugal) and a Fellow of the North American Sports Management Association. In 2015, he received the MAYO Research Excellence Award from the University of Tulsa. He and a co-author received a Cavaliers Commission Intercollegiate Athletics grant to study the escalation of NCAA track and field spending, and their conference paper was the basis for an article on ESPN.com. Before entering academia, he served as Marketing Partners Manager for the NFL Dolphins and Senior Manager for Marketing Partners for the Major League Baseball Marlins. He has also worked for SFX/Clear Channel Entertainment (now LiveNation) and ISP/Learfield College Sports.
Bouchet’s industry experience and academic background make him an ideal candidate for the role. Bouchet leads the DeVos program with us. He embodies the combination of academic and industry experience that has always been a hallmark of its success,” said Paul Jarley, dean of the UCF School of Business, which owns the DeVos program. “I am sure he will work with a wide variety of people in industry and at UCF to Ensuring our graduates have the perspectives and skills needed to become the next generation of leaders managing sports businesses. “
Bouchet said his goal is to ensure that the DeVos Sports Business Management program prepares students to compete in the competitive sports industry, while being among the top programs in the world.
“My goal is to continue DeVos’ world-class reputation and to be an asset to students and alumni,” said Bouchet, who will be the star of the Dean’s Lecture Series on Thursday, October 10. 20, at the Citrus Club. Bouchet will talk about UCF’s move to the Big 12 and the impact of the conference reorganization on the UCF track and college football landscape. Breakfast and parking are included. Register today.