Nick Johnson ’01 named director of Earlham College Athletics

Earlham College has named Nick Johnson, Class of 2001, as its next director of athletics. Johnson, a longtime coach and current assistant athletics director for student success, will begin his role early in January. He succeeds Adam Hutchinson, who will retire after more than four years of outstanding service to the College. 

Johnson brings more than two decades of experience at Earlham as a student-athlete, coach, and administrator. Since returning to Earlham Athletics in 2021, he has led academic success initiatives for student-athletes and supported departmental diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. He previously served Earlham as associate director of alumni engagement beginning in 2019. 

Johnson said he is honored to take on this next chapter of service to an institution that has shaped nearly every part of his life. 

“We have a great group of folks here — special people who work incredibly hard for Earlham,” Johnson said. “It’s invigorating to be part of their lives and their work. I’m excited to come alongside them and continue building a program that helps our student-athletes become the best version of themselves — on the field, in the classroom, and in the broader context of their lives.” 

“We have a great group of folks here — special people who work incredibly hard for Earlham. It’s invigorating to be part of their lives and their work. I’m excited to come alongside them and continue building a program that helps our student-athletes become the best version of themselves — on the field, in the classroom, and in the broader context of their lives.”

— Nick Johnson, director of athletics

Bonita Washington-Lacey, vice president for student life and dean of students, said Johnson is the right person to lead Earlham Athletics into the future. 
 

“Earlham continues to serve as a model for excellence in Division III athletics, supported by outstanding facilities and a commitment to educating the whole student,” Washington-Lacey said. “He understands the needs of today’s students, has built long-standing relationships with our coaches and players. He is invested in our students’ academic lives and partners with teaching faculty to support their learning. “

A four-year letterwinner in both football and track, Johnson said stepping into the director’s role feels deeply personal. 

“I bleed maroon and white,” he said. “Earlham is a significant part of my life, my legacy, and my experiences. Everything good in my life is because of this place. I want to do everything I can to help Earlham thrive.” 

Hutchinson said Johnson’s appointment gives him great confidence in Earlham’s future. 

“Earlham Athletics will be in capable hands under Nick Johnson’s leadership,” Hutchinson said. “Nick’s adherence to first principles is uncommon. He believes deeply that all people are created equal, and I’ve seen that in how he serves on hiring and search committees. Nick believes it’s always the right time to do the right thing—a commitment that’s needed in college athletics and higher education today.” 

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About Earlham College 

Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion foster a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with transformative opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Located in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham is one of U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 national liberal arts colleges and offers one of the top 20 classroom experiences in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.