Football
Opfer, Ayden
Ayden Opfer
- Title:
- General Manager
- E-Mail Address:
- FBRecruiting@cmich.edu
- Phone:
- @CoachOpfer (X)
- Year at CMU:
- 1st year at CMU
- Hometown:
- Sandusky, Ohio
- Alma Mater/Year:
- Bowling Green/2017
Ayden Opfer joined Matt Drinkall’s Central Michigan coaching staff in December 2024, as its first General Manager in program history. Opfer joins the Central Michigan coaching staff after working with Drinkall for the last four years at Army West Point.
The Sandusky, Ohio native spent the last four years at Army West Point in several different capacities. He spent 2024 season as Army’s Assistant Athletic Director for Capital Projects and Facilities. In this role, he helped oversee the construction of the Michie Stadium Preservation project for the athletic department. This project was a $170 million project with the purpose of enhance the gameday experience at West Point.
From 2022-23 he was the Assistant Athletic Director, Director of Football Operations, where he oversaw all team logistics as well as team travel. During his tenure on the football staff, the Army Black Knights won the Commander-in-Chief Trophy and claimed the Armed Forces Bowl with a victory over Missouri. Prior to his football operations role, he served as the Graphic Content and Communications Coordinator in 2021. He promoted the Army West Point brand and rebranded much of the Kimsey Center at Army West Point in this role. Opfer joined the Army football staff in the spring of 2021. Previously, Opfer worked as a video and graphic design intern during the summer of 2019 and helped promote the Army student-athletes on social media platforms.
Prior to joining the Black Knights, Opfer served a two-year stint at Temple University, where he was a video and graphics graduate assistant for six months before being promoted to Director of Creative Media. While in Philadelphia, he organized various recruiting events and assisted with the media content used for Temple Football recruiting social media. Opfer oversaw a team of students that assisted with content for the department as well as content being created to promote football events.
Opfer served as the Creative Content Coordinator and Assistant Recruiting Coordinator at Ohio Northern University from 2018-19. During his time with the Polar Bears, he oversaw content creation and helped to create the overall branding and look for the team’s social media accounts.
Opfer graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. He earned his masters from Temple University in sport business in 2020.
THE OPFER FILE
Hometown: Sandusky, Ohio
Education
Bachelor of Science, Education, Bowling Green State University, 2017
Master of Science, Sport Business, Temple University, 2020
Coaching Career
General Manager, Central Michigan University, 2025-current
Assistant Athletic Director, Capital Projects and Facilities, 2024
Assistant Athletic Director, Director of Football Operations, 2023-24
Director of Football Operations, Army West Point, 2022
Graphic & Design Communications Coordinator, Army West Point, 2021
Director of Creative Media, Temple University, 2019-20
Graphic Design Intern, Army West Point, 2019
Creative Content Coordinator/Assistant Recruiting Coordinator, Ohio Northern University, 2018-19
The Sandusky, Ohio native spent the last four years at Army West Point in several different capacities. He spent 2024 season as Army’s Assistant Athletic Director for Capital Projects and Facilities. In this role, he helped oversee the construction of the Michie Stadium Preservation project for the athletic department. This project was a $170 million project with the purpose of enhance the gameday experience at West Point.
From 2022-23 he was the Assistant Athletic Director, Director of Football Operations, where he oversaw all team logistics as well as team travel. During his tenure on the football staff, the Army Black Knights won the Commander-in-Chief Trophy and claimed the Armed Forces Bowl with a victory over Missouri. Prior to his football operations role, he served as the Graphic Content and Communications Coordinator in 2021. He promoted the Army West Point brand and rebranded much of the Kimsey Center at Army West Point in this role. Opfer joined the Army football staff in the spring of 2021. Previously, Opfer worked as a video and graphic design intern during the summer of 2019 and helped promote the Army student-athletes on social media platforms.
Prior to joining the Black Knights, Opfer served a two-year stint at Temple University, where he was a video and graphics graduate assistant for six months before being promoted to Director of Creative Media. While in Philadelphia, he organized various recruiting events and assisted with the media content used for Temple Football recruiting social media. Opfer oversaw a team of students that assisted with content for the department as well as content being created to promote football events.
Opfer served as the Creative Content Coordinator and Assistant Recruiting Coordinator at Ohio Northern University from 2018-19. During his time with the Polar Bears, he oversaw content creation and helped to create the overall branding and look for the team’s social media accounts.
Opfer graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. He earned his masters from Temple University in sport business in 2020.
THE OPFER FILE
Hometown: Sandusky, Ohio
Education
Bachelor of Science, Education, Bowling Green State University, 2017
Master of Science, Sport Business, Temple University, 2020
Coaching Career
General Manager, Central Michigan University, 2025-current
Assistant Athletic Director, Capital Projects and Facilities, 2024
Assistant Athletic Director, Director of Football Operations, 2023-24
Director of Football Operations, Army West Point, 2022
Graphic & Design Communications Coordinator, Army West Point, 2021
Director of Creative Media, Temple University, 2019-20
Graphic Design Intern, Army West Point, 2019
Creative Content Coordinator/Assistant Recruiting Coordinator, Ohio Northern University, 2018-19
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