PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland State University Vikings named John Johnson as their new athletic director. Johnson steps onto the Park Blocks with 28 years of experience as an AD or college administrator for four different schools, including 11 years in the Big Sky.
He will begin his new role on May 1. His hiring marks the completion of a process that began in July 2021 when Valerie Cleary stepped away from the job she’d held since 2017, Linda Williams served as interim for the last eight months.
”I am eager to join the Portland State community this spring,” Johnson said in a statement. “I see tremendous momentum and even more potential in the Viking Athletics program and I look forward to working with all of the talented student athletes and dedicated staff at Portland State. I am grateful to President Percy for this opportunity to return to the Northwest and to get to work in the Big Sky Conference.”
Since 2019, Johnson was with the Nebraska Cornhuskers as Senior Deputy Athletic Director to Athletic Director Bill Moos. Prior to that he spent five years at Washington State following 11 years as a Director of Athletics in the Big Sky with Weber State and Eastern Washington.
“Along with the wider Portland State community, I wish to enthusiastically welcome John Johnson to Portland and to our vibrant urban campus,” PSU President Stephen Percy said in a statement. “In John, we have found a very experienced and steady hand to guide our PSU Vikings Athletics program into the future. I look forward to working alongside John to develop a pathway to advancing our athletics program to serve our student athletes and further enrich our relationship with our region.”