2012 Memphis Spring Sports
INTRO
R.C. Johnson came aboard in February of 1996 and immediately set forth in bringing U of M Tigers athletics into national prominence. Over the last 15 years, the dynamic administrator has built Memphis into a nationally-recognized athletics program that has participated in five bowl games and has competed in 14 postseason men’s basketball tournaments. Under Johnson’s direction, donations to the department have risen steadily and more than $7 million has been raised each of the last three years. Also, in the last eight years under Johnson, the Tigers have captured 17 total Conference USA titles in men’s basketball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s golf and men’s track and field. The men’s basketball program has garnered five regular-season titles (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) and five C-USA Tournament championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011), while the women’s soccer program claimed consecutive league championships in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Men’s soccer won the C-USA Tournament in 2004, while the men’s outdoor track and field and women’s golf programs claimed league championships in 2007. While he has already spearheaded two major capital campaigns that raised over $21 million in private funds for athletic department projects, Johnson announced in June 2011 a major capital campaign to directly benefit the Tigers football program. “Vision for Victory,” as it is billed, was developed to raise $10 million for a 74,000-squarefoot indoor practice facility, design upgrades for the current facility and the resurfacing of the current grass fields. Johnson’s previous capital campaigns included a $12.9 million effort that benefitted nearly every area of the Memphis Athletic Department. Included in the project was an addition to the Ath-
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Athletic Director - R.C. Johnson
letic Office Building, which includes the Anfernee Hardaway Hall of Fame, a weight room and turf practice field for the football program, FedExPark for the baseball program that was unveiled for the 2010 season, the Frank L. Flautt golf practice facility, a renovation of the Finch Center men’s basketball practice facility as well as a renovation of the women’s basketball and volleyball locker rooms. Johnson’s first capital campaign was previously the largest fund-raising effort in the history of Memphis athletics. The $8 million campaign included a new 8,000-square-foot football and basketball office complex addition, the Larry O. Finch basketball practice facility, which is still considered one of the best in the country, and a complete renovation of the Murphy Athletic Complex. During his tenure, Johnson has created the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, the Tiger Scholarship Fund Board of Directors and the Athletic Director’s Ambassador’s Club. The Ambassador’s Club, which started with two members in 1997, has reached an all-time high of 41 members under Johnson. A significant revenue source for Tigers Athletics, members of the Ambassador’s Club pledge to commit $500,000. In June 2007, Johnson inked a lucrative longterm contract extension with Learfield Sports, which enabled Tiger Sports Properties to retain the multimedia rights for Memphis Athletics through 2017. The Tigers signed on with Learfield Sports in 2001, granting the partner radio and television rights, athletic venue signage, game day promotions and sponsorships, as well as the official athletic department website. Terms for the contract call for the Tigers to receive a financial guarantee each year of the agreement and to participate in annual revenue sharing. In 2008, the U of M entered into a five-year, $11.3 million partnership with Nike to provide shoes, apparel and equipment for all Memphis athletic teams. A believer in academic excellence as well as athletic success and national prominence, Johnson leads a department that set school records this past
University of Memphis
2012
year with 56 percent of its student-athletes achieving a 3.0 or higher during the 2010 fall semester (196 student-athletes) and a departmental GPA of 3.01 for the 2011 spring semester. Seven teams achieved their highest semester GPAs during the 2010-11 academic year. In May 2010, 48 studentathletes earned degrees, marking the largest group for one ceremony since 2002 when the athletic academic services department began keeping records. Before taking at Memphis, Johnson was responsible for directing a Temple program with more than 500 student-athletes in 20 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports, including nationally-visible programs in men’s basketball and football. He was named Temple’s director of athletics on May 9, 1994, after serving nearly six years as director of athletics at Miami (Ohio) University. He had also previously led the department at Eastern Illinois from 1980-88, and was the associate athletic director at Northern Iowa from 1974-80. A former football coach himself, Johnson served as an assistant at Mankato State University from 1968-74. He coached at Youngstown State University during the 1967 and 1968 seasons after serving as an assistant coach at Northern Iowa (1965-67) and the University of Iowa (1963-65). An Ottawa, Ill., native, Johnson holds his bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Iowa in 1965 and earned his master’s degree in physical education from the University of Northern Iowa in 1967. Johnson is a member of the National Association of College Directors of Athletics and serves on the NCAA Leadership Council. A veteran administrator in Conference USA, Johnson sits on both the C-USA Bowl Committee and the league’s Finance Committee. In addition, he is a member of the University of Memphis President’s Council. He was appointed by Governor Haslam to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Board. Johnson and his wife, Melba, have three children: Jeff, P.A. and Michelle; five grandchildren and one great grandson.
Tigers Spring Sports Fact Book