Jonathan Harper began his tenure as Director of Athletics at Rivier University in July 2022. Over the course of his career, Harper has amassed over 20 years of experience in higher education and intercollegiate athletics dedicated to fostering athletic achievement and personal growth among student-athletes.
As Director of Athletics, Harper is charged with leading the Department of Athletics and overseeing all operational aspects for the University’s 15 NCAA Division III programs.
Harper has made monumental progress over three academic years at Rivier, helping move the athletic department forward. All head coaches have been promoted to full-time status, with his two most recent hires being named Coach of the Year in their respective conferences.
Harper has overseen major facility upgrades, including a full redesign of the Muldoon Center competition gym with the installation of a new basketball and volleyball court, new varsity suites, and the implementation of Hudl cameras across all athletic venues. In collaboration with the Director of Athletic Communications, hired in 2023, he significantly upgraded the video streaming platform, Rivier.tv, which utilizes multiple camera angles and live commentators.
He launched several impactful campaigns, including the “Nashua is a College Town” initiative and helped bolster the Raiders Athletics Challenge, which raised substantial funds for the athletic department during Rivier’s Day of Giving over two years (2024 & 2025). Rivier Sport Camps, held annually, and SnapRaise fundraisers have generated revenue for the department as well. Harper also secured a $60,000 sponsorship from Revo Casino and strengthened relationships with BSN Sports and Nike.
Committed to holistic student-athlete development, Harper expanded the department’s support staff by adding a strength and conditioning group through TOP Fitness, adopted the Zama Health platform for mental wellness, and partnered with Spry to enhance compliance and internal operations.
In 2024, Harper successfully transitioned Rivier’s independent men’s and women’s ice hockey programs into the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC). That same year, he led the transition of rivierathletics.com from PrestoSports to Sidearm. He also moved all ticketing operations to a cashless platform in partnership with Hometown Ticketing.
A respected leader in the conference, Harper served as Chair of the GNAC Athletic Directors Council (2022-2023) and has been a member of the Rivier President’s Cabinet since 2023. Through his strategic vision and student-centered approach, Harper continues to position Rivier Athletics for sustained success and recognition.
Rivier Athletics had a prosperous year in 2024-25, as Emma McEvoy began the year by claiming the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Individual Championship and earned the title of Runner of the Year, becoming the first student-athlete since 1998 to earn an individual championship. In the spring, the men's lacrosse program won its first GNAC Championship, marking the first conference title for the University since men's volleyball's 2019 campaign. The squad went on to host an NCAA Championship First Round contest, the first national tournament contest hosted by the institution.
Harper returned to New England after serving as Director of Athletics at Marymount California University in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The vast majority of his career has been spent in New England. As Director of Athletics at Newbury College in Brookline, Massachusetts, the Nighthawks won three conference championships during the 2018-2019 academic year (men’s soccer, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field).
Prior to Newbury, Harper operated multiple Division II and III conferences in various regions and capacities. He served as Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Communications at the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, Commissioner of the Little East Conference, and Associate Commissioner of the Northeast-10 Conference. An early pioneer in digital media, Harper served as Vice President for Penn Atlantic, a video streaming provider for intercollegiate athletics.
In addition to his experience in intercollegiate athletics, Harper was granted the opportunity to teach Sport Management, Business Management and Communications courses both online and on-campus at Post University and Newbury College.
Harper began his career as an intern with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League, Eastern College Athletic Conference and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy before his appointment as Assistant Director of Athletics at Fitchburg State University. He performed his undergraduate studies at Bridgewater State University and holds a Master’s in Education from Nova Southeastern University, and is pursuing his Doctorate in Sports Leadership.
The Springfield, Missouri native currently lives in Nashua with his wife, Heather, and has three children: Clayton, a graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology; Skyler, a graduate of Rivier University, and Brooklyn, who is currently enrolled in college.
