Peter Watkins was appointed as the first full-time Executive Director of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference at the start of the 2016 academic year.  

The Minnesota College Athletic Conference serves as the organizing body for NJCAA Division III two-year college athletic programs within the Minnesota State College and University system, as well as additional member colleges in Wisconsin and North Dakota. 

As director of the MCAC, Watkins is tasked with oversight of both current and emerging sports sponsored within the MCAC, as well as sports information duties and the development of strategic partnerships within the state of Minnesota and the upper Midwest.  Beginning in October 2016, the MCAC worked with member colleges to have visioned, designed and launched www.mcacsports.org  a Conference website powered by PrestoSports which serves as the main administrative portal for member schools.  The MCAC is working with corporate and non-profit sponsorship partners to assist with Conference costs and operations and has significantly improved the administrative communication infrastruc The MCAC continues to evolve by broadening both the sport offerings and the number of member colleges, as well as strengthening the presence of the league as a forerunner in NJCAA Division III athletics. 

Watkins came to the MCAC from Saint Mary's (MN) University, where he served as the head men's soccer coach and Director of the Physical Education & Recreation programming, as well as an Instructor in Sport Management within the Saint Mary's distinguished College of Business.  Before his tenure at Saint Mary's, Watkins was tasked with implementation and oversight of the Coaching and Youth Sport Development major at Aurora University and served as the men's soccer coach for the Spartans from 2002 through 2011.  Prior to coaching men's soccer at the NCAA Division III level, Watkins was an instructor and women's soccer coach at NCAA Division I Northwestern State (La.) University and NCAA Division II Ferris State (MI) University.  

The Big Rapids, Michigan product competed in intercollegiate athletics at Mesa (AZ) Community College and NCAA member MacMurray (IL) College. While at MacMurray, Watkins earned Academic All-American, Academic All-Midwest and All-Conference honors in men's soccer.  Watkins and his wife Laura have three children; Campbell, Mae and Seth and reside in Winona, Minnesota.