Pittsburg State Gorillas

Jim Johnson enters his 16th year leading the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at Pittsburg State University. He begins his second year in the role of Vice President of Athletics.

He became the school’s 10th all-time Athletics Director on July 30, 2010 and officially began his tenure at the school five weeks later on Sept. 7, 2010.

As athletics director, Johnson provides leadership and support for the Gorillas’ 15 varsity intercollegiate sports programs as well as the department’s more than 100 full-time and part-time administrative and coaching staff members.

Johnson also provides leadership in the development and implementation of departmental planning; provides oversight of compliance with NCAA and MIAA rules and works in conjunction with the MIAA office in support of conference activities and initiatives; develops and advances marketing, communications, sponsorship, and fundraising in support of PSU and its athletics program; develops and nurtures relationships with donors, local businesses, and community entities in support of the athletics programs; and oversees/manages athletics facilities.

Johnson was selected as one of 28 recipients of the 2019-20 Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year by NACDA. He was one of four NCAA Division II administrators to be honored with the prestigious award. This marked the second time in his tenure Johnson has been named Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year by NACDA after receiving the elite honor in 2013-14. 
Following the 2024-25 academic year, Pittsburg State claimed the school’s fourth consecutive MIAA Commissioner’s Cup honoring the conference’s top overall program. PSU also won the MIAA Commissioner’s Cup during the 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22 and 2018-19 academic years. In 2023-24, the Gorillas collected a program record eight MIAA championships in the same academic year: football, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, softball, and men‘s and women’s outdoor track & field. Last year, the Gorillas secured six MIAA Championships: women’s cross country, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field. The women’s basketball team also captured the MIAA Postseason Tournament title each of the past two years.

Pittsburg State also placed seventh in the final 2024-25 NCAA Division II Learfield Director’s Cup Standings, the Gorillas second straight top 10 national finish. Pitt State captured NCAA Division II national championships in men’s and women’s indoor track & field and men’s outdoor track & field, while the Gorilla women’s basketball program made a Final Four appearance in 2024-25.

Johnson served as commissioner of the MIAA from July 1, 2007 through July 30, 2010, serving as chief operating officer for the 14-member conference, of which Pitt State is a member. He handled the administration of conference championships for 17 sports and provided leadership in areas of marketing and promotions, broadcasting, rules compliance, strategic planning, officiating and media relations, as well as provided oversight and management of annual financial resources totaling more than $1 million. 

From 2005 to 2007 he held the position of athletics director at Texas A&M University-Commerce, before taking his assignment with the MIAA. Johnson briefly served as an intercollegiate athletics consultant before becoming the associate athletics director for development in 2003 at the University of Central Missouri. 

In 1997, he accepted a position with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, first as a membership services representative and later as the Division II governance liaison. As the governance liaison, Johnson provided legislative and strategic support to the DII Presidents Council, DII Management Council, legislation and membership committees and various project teams and focus groups. 

Johnson recently completed a five-year term as the MIAA representative on the NCAA Division II Management Council culminating his term in January 2023; and he held the position of Vice Chair for the 2019-2020 academic year. Johnson was elected Chair of the Management Council in October 2020 and he served in that capacity through the adjournment of the NCAA Convention in January 2023. As part of his role as Chair, Johnson also served as an ex-officio member of the NCAA Board of Governors. During his Management Council tenure, he also served as one of five Division II representatives on the NCAA Constitution Committee. This 28-member group completed the rewrite of the NCAA Constitution during the 2021 calendar year. Johnson subsequently served on the 28-member Division II Implementation Committee. This group was charged with implementation of the new NCAA Constitution for Division II. 

In 2018-19, he also served as the President of the D2 Athletic Director’s Association and continued with that organization as Past President in 2019-20. After almost 20 years of NCAA committee service, Johnson’s last appointment in December 2022 was serving on the selection committee for current NCAA President Charlie Baker. 

Johnson has previously completed terms of service on the Division II Championships Committee, Men’s Basketball Committee, Football Committee and Membership Committee. 

Johnson holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tarleton State University, where he served as the compliance coordinator and men’s athletic coordinator from 1993-97. 

Jim and his wife, Cindy, have two adult sons, Ely and Riley.