Northwestern hires Bengals scout Christian Sarkisian as its athletic department general manager

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern hired Cincinnati Bengals scout Christian Sarkisian as the athletic department’s general manager on Tuesday to oversee the school’s salary cap and revenue-sharing issues.

Sarkisian, who spent the past seven years as a scout for the Bengals, will help Northwestern navigate a changing landscape. Schools would be allowed to share millions in revenue directly with student-athletes if a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement against the NCAA is approved by a federal judge. Sarkisian’s primary focus will be on football.

Sarkisian will lead athlete evaluations and contract negotiations, and oversee Northwestern’s name, image and likeness clearinghouse. He also will work with coaches on scholarship budgets and analyze future recruiting class needs.

“After seven years learning from the greatest of football minds and leaders, I feel ready to help add to the legacy of Northwestern’s athletic programs,” Sarkisian said in a statement. “From growing up never missing a Saturday at Ryan Field to helping build rosters that won bowl games and went to the Big Ten Championship, I’ve learned, and have been raised by, the Northwestern standard of excellence, and I look forward to doing my part to elevate our athletic programs.”

Sarkisian is from the Chicago area and has a master’s degree in sports administration from Northwestern. He was the Wildcats’ assistant director of player personnel and recruiting assistant from 2015 to 2017 under former coach Pat Fitzgerald.

His grandfather Alex Sarkisian was captain of the 1948 Rose Bowl team and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. During his time with the Bengals, Cincinnati played in a Super Bowl and two AFC championship games.

“Christian brings a wealth of experience from his time in the NFL and his previous work here in Evanston, particularly in areas such as student-athlete evaluation, recruitment and strategic resources,” athletic director Mark Jackson said. “His perspective and leadership will be instrumental as we navigate a rapidly changing college athletics environment and continue to support our student-athletes at the highest level.”

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