Adam Hutchinson to become Earlham College's new athletic director : Earlham College

Adam Hutchinson, current assistant athletics director at Kean University, has been named the new director of athletics at Earlham College.

Hutchinson will officially begin his duties at Earlham on July 1.

“I am pleased we were able to attract a candidate of Adam’s background and experience to lead our athletics program,” said Bonita Washington-Lacey, Earlham’s vice president for student life and dean of students. “Adam’s recent coaching background, leadership experience and expertise in mentoring young coaches make him a great fit for Earlham Athletics. Moreover, his commitment to building an athletics program centered around collaborative leadership, transparency, and inclusivity make him an extraordinary match for Earlham College.”

“I look forward to working with Adam as Earlham’s intercollegiate athletics program becomes a model for Division III athletics,” said Washington-Lacey.

Hutchinson joins Earlham Athletics from Kean University, an NCAA Division III institution in Union, New Jersey, where he had served as assistant director of athletics for internal operations and student-athlete development since October 2020. In that role, he coordinated and developed a comprehensive development program for over 400 student-athletes in the athletic department. In addition, he had oversight of diversity and inclusion initiatives for the department. Other duties included assisting with the oversight of internal business operations while developing policies and procedures that enhanced the academic success and graduation of every student-athlete.

While at Kean, Hutchinson also served as the athletics diversity and inclusion designee and was the point of communication between the NCAA national office, athletics department, the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and campus with information around inclusive programs, emerging diversity issues and other related equity initiatives that needed to be shared or addressed.

“I would like to thank (Earlham College President) Anne Houtman and Dean Washington-Lacey for this opportunity to join Earlham College. I would also like to thank the Earlham athletic department staff and the Earlham alumni I met with during the search process. Their passion and professionalism in representing the college and recruiting me was incredibly persuasive,” said Hutchinson.

“My family and I believe strongly in the college’s mission. We look forward to contributing to the continued success of Earlham College athletics and our future in the Richmond community,” said Hutchinson.

Hutchinson was the head men’s basketball coach at Kean from October 2018 to August 2020.

In his first season, Hutchinson collected seven wins, including a season sweep of The College of New Jersey and the first home victory over Ramapo College since 2013-14. Kean had two Cougars selected to the All-NJAC teams, including Second Team selection Micah Kerr and NJAC Rookie of the Year Jalien Jamison.

In his second season at the helm of the men’s basketball program at Kean, Hutchinson collected his 200th career victory with an 81-79 decision over William Paterson University on Feb. 8, 2020.

Hutchinson arrived at Kean prior to the 2018-19 season after working at Amherst College, Washington & Lee University, Case Western Reserve University, and Stevens Institute of Technology.

At Amherst, he was an assistant men’s basketball coach for one season with the Mammoths. Hutchinson’s defense finished the season ranked No. 1 in Division III in defensive field goal percentage.

Prior to Amherst, Hutchinson was the head men’s basketball coach at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, for 14 seasons (2003-2017). During his time with the Generals, he became the second-winningest coach in program history with 154 victories, reached the ODAC title game in 2009 and the semifinals in 2014 and 2017. In 2008, he was named both the ODAC Coach of the Year and the VaSID College Division Coach of the Year. His tenure also saw losing streaks to Randolph-Macon College and Roanoke College snapped.

He also had the reins for two seasons at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland (2001-2003) and at Stevens Institute of Technology (1999-2001). With the Spartans of Case Western, he recruited two multiple-time All-UAA selections and the school’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder. With the Ducks, the team saw improvements in wins and a third-place finish in the Skyline.

A 1993 graduate of Amherst College, he played basketball from 1989 to 1993 and earned a bachelor of arts degree in Black Studies. He earned his master of science in sports management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst after receiving an NCAA Graduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics (only eight awarded nationally each year based on distinction earned as an undergraduate).

Hutchinson earned a graduate certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University in February 2020 and has been a guest speaker at the NCAA Division III Institute for Administrative Advancement since 2019.

Born and raised in the Garden State, Hutchinson graduated from the renowned St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, where he played basketball for the Gray Bees.

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