Dan Johnson Appointed as ITA Director of Communications

Dan Johnson has been appointed as Director of Communications of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, with his role set to begin on August 3, 2015. ITA Chief Executive Officer Timothy Russell welcomed Johnson in saying, "One of our top priorities early on in my tenure is to create a very high level communications team. As we position college tennis at the forefront of intercollegiate athletics and American sports, I am thrilled to be adding a seasoned professional with Dan's depth and breadth of experience."

Johnson joins the ITA from the Mountain West Conference, where he served as the Assistant Director of Communications for three years. He will partner with Laura Schuessler in the communications department. Johnson's responsibilities include overseeing all ITA media initiatives, maintaining the website, providing on-site media coverage at national championship events and liaising with institutions, conferences and media outlets.

"We are thrilled to announce that Dan Johnson will be joining Team ITA next month," ITA Chief Operating Officer Erica Perkins Jasper said. "Dan brings a wealth of experience as a journalist and has a passion for collegiate athletics. His attention to the coach and student-athlete experience will help us improve the promotion of our programs, coaches and players."

Prior to his time at the Mountain West, Johnson spent 13 years in print journalism working as a sports editor and writer, collecting a variety of awards including two first place honors for Best Sports Event Story from the Colorado Press Association.

"I am very excited to embark on this new career opportunity and work alongside the talented ITA staff, as we strive to serve the membership and grow the sport of college tennis," Johnson said. "Erica Perkins Jasper and Laura Schuessler were trusted colleagues during my tenure at the Mountain West and I am glad we will have the ability to work in concert at the ITA."

Dawn Anderson, Johnson's direct supervisor at the Mountain West and current United States Olympic Committee Manager for Donor Relations, is confident the ITA is the right fit for his expansive skill set.

"Dan is the perfect person for this position. His passion for going above and beyond to tell the on- and off-court stories of the athletes and coaches will be a great addition to the ITA. During his time at the Mountain West, he made it his personal mission to enhance the experience of everyone he worked with, especially at the Conference championships. There was never a request he wasn't willing to help out with and did everything he could to make things happen. I have no doubt he will continue these efforts and relationship building to become an integral part of the ITA family."

His outstanding effort in the conference office did not go unnoticed by the coaches, particularly longtime Boise State head men's tennis coach Greg Patton.

"This is great news for college tennis for Dan is a proven, dynamic and talented journalist with vast experience in sports journalism, administration and college tennis. I am especially impressed with Dan's talents due to personally witnessing his expertise, creativity, innovation and phenomenal people skills. He dramatically impacted every tennis program in the Mountain West and was second to none in promoting and spreading the gospel about the excellence of a MW teams, players and their stories which not only created a brand of excellence but also captured the imagination and interest in our communities. The future for college tennis is so bright that our coaches, media and student-athletes will have to obtain new sunglasses now that Dan is at the helm of promoting and heralding the magical stories of college tennis on the national and international stage."

About the ITA: The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body of college tennis, overseeing men's and women's varsity tennis at NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College. The ITA administers a comprehensive awards and rankings program for men's and women's varsity players, coaches and teams in all divisions, providing recognition for their accomplishments on and off the court. For more information on the ITA, visit the ITA website at www.itatennis.com, like the ITA on Facebook or follow @ITAtennis on Twitter.