Athletic Director R.C. Johnson Athletic Director Iowa , 1965 R.C. Johnson, who has worked for 30 years in athletic administration and served as athletic director at Temple University, was named the Director of Athletics at The University of Memphis on December 29, 1995. Johnson came aboard in February of 1996 and immediately set forth in putting together one of the most renowned staffs in school history. Since his arrival, Johnson has hired such high-profile coaches as former Clemson head football coach Tommy West, former New Jersey Nets and UMass head basketball coach John Calipari and former Los Angeles Dodger shortstop Dave Anderson as baseball coach. With his staff completed, the Iowa native set his sights on revamping the University of Memphis athletic facilities and that goal is now coming to completion. Johnson initiated the start of a capital campaign to add a new 8,000-square-foot football and basketball office complex to the current Athletic Office Building, a new basketball practice facility and a complete renovation of the Murphy Athletic Complex on Memphis' south campus. The eight million dollar campaign is the largest fund raising effort in the history of Memphis athletics and should bring the Tiger athletic facilities on-line with Conference USA sister institutions. During the spring of 1999, Johnson negotiated one of the richest radio broadcast packages in Tiger athletic history with WMC-AM 79 in Memphis. The three-year agreement calls for WMC to pay the University approximately $1.2 million for football and men's basketball rights. In his short tenure, Johnson has created the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, the Tiger Clubs Board of Directors and the athletic director's Ambassador's Club. Johnson has conducted several meet-
MEMPHIS
ings with the Memphis Park Commission Johnson served as an assistant football to add a greater presence for the Tigers in coach at Mankato State University from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Numerous 1968-74. He coached at Youngstown State signs appear in the Liberty Bowl indicating University during the 1967 and '68 seasons. that the stadium is the "home of the Ti- Prior to joining the staff at Youngstown State, Johnson served as an assistant coach gers." At Temple, Johnson was responsible at Northern Iowa for two years (1965-67) for directing a program with more than 500 and the University of Iowa (1963-65). A native of Ottawa, Ill., Johnson has student-athletes in 20-men's and women's intercollegiate sports, including nationally his bachelor's degree in sociology from the visible programs in men's basketball and University of Iowa and a master's in physifootball. He was named Temple's director cal education from the University of Northof athletics on May 9, 1994, after a national ern Iowa. He is a member of the Football Issues search. The former Temple athletic director en- Committee of the NCAA, the National Asjoys a reputation for building private and sociation of College Directors of Athletics, corporate support for intercollegiate ath- the Executive Committee of the Division Iletics and for developing strong academic A Athletic Directors Association, the Cservices for student-athletes. Highlights of USA Representative on the Board of Dihis tenure at Temple include: the origina- rectors of the AFCA, and he serves on the tion of a Student-Athlete Advisory Com- Finance, Nominating, Planning, Football mittee; the Athletic Director's Honor Roll Scheduling, and Expansion & Bowl Comfor student-athletes; the reorganization of mittees for Conference USA. He is also a the Athletic Department infrastructure; member of the Shelby County Sports Auchairing the Atlantic 10 Conference Mem- thority. Johnson and his wife, Melba, have bership Committee and representing the Big East Conference on the Gender-Equity Task three children and three grandchildren. Force. Johnson was hired at Temple after nearly six years as director of athletics at Miami (Ohio) University. During his tenure at Miami University, Johnson UM athletic directorR.C.Johnson and his wife, Melba, visit Memphis landmark, was responsible for numerous programs Graceland, home of the late Elvis Presley. that enhanced the stature and image of the Ohio institution. A strong believer in a quality education for student-athletes, Johnson emphasized academic integrity and excellence during his time at Miami University. At the time he departed for Temple, Miami University had 15 student-athletes with a perfect 4.0 GPA, 62 student-athletes with a 3.50 or better GPA and 191 student-athletes with a 3.00 GPA or better. Before becoming athletic director at Miami University, Johnson was athletic director at Eastern Illinois from 1980-88. He was the associate athletic director at Northern Iowa from 1974 to 1980. A former football coach himself, 254