Aaron, 37, graduated from Tennessee Temple in 1999 and went on to receive his MBA from Baylor in 2001. It was there that he jumped headfirst into college athletics and continued on with a fast-paced and successful career. He first worked at Illinois State from 2005 to 2011, before returning in June of 2013 to serve as the Deputy Director of Athletics. Prior to this return, Aaron served as the Director of Athletics at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington.

Aaron was full of life and lived it well. He was ‘all in’ with every aspect of his life whether it be his faith, family, career, or training and racing. His passion was to make a difference in the lives of student-athletes and their collegiate experience. Aaron was a humble leader with a gift of understanding and lifting others up, who impacted far more people than he ever could have realized. He believed in doing what was right simply because it was the right thing to do.

Aaron and his wife, Lindsay, were married in 2005 and have two daughters, Avery, 7, and Emmersen, 4. He loved spending time with his family and was an incredible father. Nothing was more important to him than believing in, cheering on and teaching their girls to love Jesus with all their hearts.