A key member of the Saints’ player personnel department since 2004, Rick Reiprish has been an integral part of the club’s scouting efforts since arriving in New Orleans. He brings three decades of experience to his position.

As the club’s director of college scouting, his responsibilities include coordinating the efforts of the team’s area scouts, working to build a consensus entering the draft and grading and scouting college players throughout the year. Reiprish’s insight has been essential to the Saints’ success during the NFL Draft since his arrival.

New Orleans has picked up a steady stream of top contributors since 2004, including future Pro Bowlers DE Will Smith and T Jammal Brown as well as DT Sedrick Ellis, RB Reggie Bush and S Roman Harper. The draft has also brought late-round finds such as G Jahri Evans and WR Marques Colston, and the scouts have made savvy discoveries in undrafted free agents, most notably RB Pierre Thomas.

Reiprish joined the Saints following an eight-year stint (1994-2002) with Jacksonville as director of player personnel, where he was an architect of the Jaguars' rapid ascension to the top of the AFC. He was responsible for each of the club’s drafts since its inaugural effort in 1995, selecting such stalwarts as T Tony Boselli, DE Tony Brackens, RB Fred Taylor, S Donovin Darius and CB Fernando Bryant. Of the team's seven first-round picks from 1995 to 1999, each became a starter, more than any other NFL team in that span.

Originally hired as the Jaguars’ Director of College Scouting in 1994, Reiprish was promoted to director of player personnel in 1998. He was responsible for the pro and college scouting departments, including directing the scouting of college players and the draft as well as the evaluation of veteran free agents.

Reiprish joined the Jaguars after working for the Seattle Seahawks for 10 years (1984-94), first as an area scout before being promoted to Eastern Scout Supervisor in 1989. He began his NFL career as a southeast scout with BLESTO from 1979-82. For the previous three years, he was a personnel scout for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Reiprish coached wide receivers and running backs at Austin Peay State University (1973-76) before going to East Tennessee State in 1977, where he coached quarterbacks and running backs. In 1978, he was offensive line coach at North Alabama.

A native of Shamokin, Pa., Reiprish graduated from Villanova in 1972 and earned a master's degree in education-administration and supervision from Austin Peay in 1974. He and wife Julie were married recently. Reiprish has a son, Andrew.