Rick Canter serves as Associate Vice President and Deputy Athletic Director at Jacksonville University, a role he has held since August 2024 following a promotion that recognized his contributions to the program. He joined JU in June 2022 as Chief Operating Officer and has since been focused on strengthening operations, supporting student-athletes, and building the infrastructure needed for long-term departmental success.
Canter manages a broad portfolio that includes External Strategy, Marketing, Facility Management, Ticketing, Sports Information, Creative Services, Corporate Partnerships, and Student-Athlete Services. He works in close partnership with Senior Vice President and Athletic Director Alex Ricker-Gilbert on strategic priorities and daily operations while serving as a key member of both the Athletics Executive Team and the Senior Leadership Team.
Serving as sport administrator for baseball, softball, and volleyball, Canter also contributes to broader institutional priorities as a member of the Athletics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Planning Committee and the University Behavioral Intervention Task Force.
Jacksonville University Athletics has posted a record departmental GPA each year under his watch, climbing from a 3.38 in 2022–23 to a program-best 3.58 in 2025–26, with improvement recorded in every academic year. This consistent progress reflects ongoing investment in academic support and student-athlete development.
Canter has played an instrumental role in modernizing JU Athletics for the current era of college sports. He has been central to the department’s NIL strategy, building the infrastructure, policies, and partnerships needed to compete in an evolving landscape. He has guided capital improvement projects from planning through completion, enhancing facilities across the athletics program. He also led the integration of artificial intelligence tools into departmental operations, embedding emerging technology into staff workflows to improve efficiency and decision-making.
Additional initiatives under his leadership include the launch of a High-Performance Team to address the holistic needs of student-athletes, the onboarding of RealResponse to provide anonymous feedback channels for athletes and staff, a broadcast partnership with Gemstone Media that created student internship and work-study opportunities, and the introduction of weekly professional development resources for coaches, student-athletes, and staff.
A nationally recognized emerging leader in intercollegiate athletics, Canter was selected as a 2025–2026 participant in the NCAA Pathway Program — a competitive, yearlong leadership development experience designed to advance senior athletics administrators to the role of director of athletics or conference commissioner. He has also completed the NFL Athlete Development Professional Certification through the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (2018), and participated in the NCAA Leadership Academy Workshop (2016–2017). He has been engaged in multiple industry mentoring initiatives, including the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Mentoring Program, the College Athletic Business Management Association’s Mentor Me Program, and the TopConnect AD Symposium.
Before arriving at Jacksonville, Canter spent 11 years at Longwood University, rising from a part-time strength coach to Deputy Athletics Director. His tenure there included development of a Mental Health Emergency Action Plan, creation of a Coaches Leadership Academy, NIL policy development, and oversight of the Student-Athlete Scholarship Fund. He also served as an adjunct professor, building curriculum and teaching courses across the Department of Kinesiology and the Department of History, Political Science, and Philosophy. His career in athletics began in strength and conditioning at Robert Morris, Auburn, Pitt, and Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Canter holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Bloomsburg University (2009) and a master’s degree in Instructional Leadership with a concentration in Sport Management from Robert Morris University (2011).
Rick and his wife, Marissa, live in Jacksonville with their son, Jax and daughter, Gemma.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT CANTER
“Rick is an extremely bright administrator who leads with his heart. He leads through a teacher’s lens, while continually focusing on getting better. Jacksonville is getting a star in the making.”
— Troy Austin, Deputy Director of Athletics/Development
“Jacksonville has hit a homerun with the addition of Rick Canter. He’s a thoughtful, strategic and innovative leader that builds influence through genuine relationships and intentional focus on elevating those around him. He’s a rising star that made a tremendous impact in his time at Longwood and I know he will continue to do great things for the student-athletes, coaches and all of JU.”
— Michelle Meadows, NJCAA Senior Vice President – COO & CFO
“Rick will have an immediate impact on our student-athletes, coaches, and staff. He brings a wealth of experience ranging from strength and conditioning to fundraising to academic support. It is rare to find someone with his skillset, and I am excited to have him by my side as we continue to build.”
— Alex Ricker-Gilbert, Senior Vice President and Athletic Director, Jacksonville University
