Daytona Beach, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman University Director of Athletics, Lynn W. Thompson, announced the appointment of Mark Johnson as Sports Information Director for the B-CU Athletic Department.

Johnson previously served as a Division I SID at Indiana State University (1987-89), SID at Marquette University (1989-92), SID at Lamar University in Texas (1992-93), at NE Illinois University in Chicago (1993-97), and SID at Chicago State University (2002-2003). He also worked at the University of Minnesota (1985-87) with Gopher football and head football coaches Lou Holtz and John Gutekunst. He was Olympic sports Assistant SID under Hall of Famer Bob Peterson in Minneapolis. Johnson’s SID publications have earned 17 national CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors) journalism awards.

A native of Marquette, Michigan, Johnson is a 1981 graduate of Northern Michigan University. He also attended McNeese State University in Louisiana two years and earned all Southland Conference academic honors playing tennis for the Cowboys. He earned four varsity letters in collegiate tennis and played prep football, basketball, baseball, and tennis in Michigan.

He comes to B-CU from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan - American Cancer Society. Johnson was a fund raiser and community director for ACS organizing community Relay for Life events in Northern Michigan.  He was a seven-year Athletic Director, coach, referee, and league organizer for Nevada Youth Sports in Las Vegas after leaving the NCAA ranks when NE Illinois University dropped

Division I athletics in Chicago (1996-97).

“The opportunity to return to a college campus is exciting for me,” said Johnson. “Lynn Thompson and Sandra Booker here at B-CU saw my years of experience and enthusiasm for working with student-athletes, coaches, and staff - to be a good fit for the university.  When you have worked in college athletics, it is always in your blood and I’m excited for the year ahead with the Wildcats.”

For more information on B-CU athletics, call the Sports Information Office at (386) 481-2206, email Johnson at:  johnsonm@cookman.edu  or log on to

www.BCCathletics.com

The original story was published here: http://bccathletics.cstv.com/genrel/082708aaa.html

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