Temple University Athletics
Staff Directory
Johnson, Arthur
Arthur Johnson
- Title:
- Vice President/Debbie and Stanley Lefkowitz ’65 Director of Athletics
- Email:
- Phone:
- 215-204-7759
Arthur Johnson, a veteran administrator who served for seven years (2014-21) on the athletics senior leadership team at the University of Texas, was named the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Temple University on Oct. 6, 2021. In March of 2024, the positioned was endowed and renamed the Debbie and Stanley Lefkowitz ’65 Director of Athletics.
In his role of Senior Associate Athletics Director for Administration and Operations at Texas since 2014, Johnson was responsible for the internal management of the Longhorns athletics department. He played a major role on the senior leadership team that helped Texas capture its first-ever IMG Learfield Division I College Director's Cup in 2020-21, snapping a string of 25 straight first-place finishes by Stanford.
At Texas, Johnson had direct oversight of a $35 million administration and operations budget while also serving as the varsity sport administrator for baseball, men's basketball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis and men's swimming and diving with the programs combining to win six NCAA Championships during his tenure.
Johnson was also charged with implementing the University's first comprehensive athletics facilities plan which encompassed capital projects valued at over $750 million. These projects included the new $400 million Moody Center, which opened in 2022, with the arena not only hosting Longhorn athletics teams but also benefiting the Austin community. He directed the $175 million renovation to modernize the Texas football complex as well as the $10 million construction of the Dan Brown Baseball Development area.
Externally, Johnson was involved in the negotiations that led to the 2015 record-breaking apparel deal with Nike, a $250M, 15-year agreement that was the biggest in the history of collegiate sports at the time.
A true believer in putting the student-athletes first, Johnson supported the 4Ever Texas program, designed to educate, equip, and prepare Longhorn student-athletes for lifelong success. The program's prongs include Texas Tailored (Career and Professional Development), UTransform (Character and Personal Development), and Agents of Change (Community Service & Civic Engagement). The key program components center on name, image, and likeness (NIL), to equip student-athletes with knowledge and tools necessary to maximize their brand and platform.
Johnson also was part of the Texas athletics leadership team that worked hard to ensure the Longhorns student-athletes' success in the classroom. This is evidenced by the 2019-20 academic year where over 750 Texas student-athletes earned spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.0 GPA) and a conference-leading 217 earned Academic All-Big 12 honors with 157 named to the first team.
Prior to his position at Texas, Johnson served as the school's Senior Associate Athletics Director for Football Operation for three years (2011-14). In this role he oversaw the non-coaching operational and administrative leadership for the program. It was his second stint at the University as he had served in a similar capacity from 1999 through 2005 as the Assistant Athletics Director for Football Operations/Special Assistant to the Head Football Coach.
In between his time at Texas, Johnson served six years (2005-11) on the athletics staff of his alma mater, the University of Georgia, as the Bulldogs Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations. At Georgia he served as the sport administrator for men's basketball while also providing strategic leadership on facility and capital planning with construction budgets exceeding $100 million.
A two-time Georgia graduate, earning his bachelor's degree in 1992 and master's degree in 1994, Johnson also had served as the Administrative Assistant for Football Operations at the University of North Carolina (1999) and the Manager of Football Operations at Arizona State University (1996-99).
A native of Thomasville, Ga., Johnson and his wife T'Leatha have a son, Aaron.
In his role of Senior Associate Athletics Director for Administration and Operations at Texas since 2014, Johnson was responsible for the internal management of the Longhorns athletics department. He played a major role on the senior leadership team that helped Texas capture its first-ever IMG Learfield Division I College Director's Cup in 2020-21, snapping a string of 25 straight first-place finishes by Stanford.
At Texas, Johnson had direct oversight of a $35 million administration and operations budget while also serving as the varsity sport administrator for baseball, men's basketball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis and men's swimming and diving with the programs combining to win six NCAA Championships during his tenure.
Johnson was also charged with implementing the University's first comprehensive athletics facilities plan which encompassed capital projects valued at over $750 million. These projects included the new $400 million Moody Center, which opened in 2022, with the arena not only hosting Longhorn athletics teams but also benefiting the Austin community. He directed the $175 million renovation to modernize the Texas football complex as well as the $10 million construction of the Dan Brown Baseball Development area.
Externally, Johnson was involved in the negotiations that led to the 2015 record-breaking apparel deal with Nike, a $250M, 15-year agreement that was the biggest in the history of collegiate sports at the time.
A true believer in putting the student-athletes first, Johnson supported the 4Ever Texas program, designed to educate, equip, and prepare Longhorn student-athletes for lifelong success. The program's prongs include Texas Tailored (Career and Professional Development), UTransform (Character and Personal Development), and Agents of Change (Community Service & Civic Engagement). The key program components center on name, image, and likeness (NIL), to equip student-athletes with knowledge and tools necessary to maximize their brand and platform.
Johnson also was part of the Texas athletics leadership team that worked hard to ensure the Longhorns student-athletes' success in the classroom. This is evidenced by the 2019-20 academic year where over 750 Texas student-athletes earned spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.0 GPA) and a conference-leading 217 earned Academic All-Big 12 honors with 157 named to the first team.
Prior to his position at Texas, Johnson served as the school's Senior Associate Athletics Director for Football Operation for three years (2011-14). In this role he oversaw the non-coaching operational and administrative leadership for the program. It was his second stint at the University as he had served in a similar capacity from 1999 through 2005 as the Assistant Athletics Director for Football Operations/Special Assistant to the Head Football Coach.
In between his time at Texas, Johnson served six years (2005-11) on the athletics staff of his alma mater, the University of Georgia, as the Bulldogs Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations. At Georgia he served as the sport administrator for men's basketball while also providing strategic leadership on facility and capital planning with construction budgets exceeding $100 million.
A two-time Georgia graduate, earning his bachelor's degree in 1992 and master's degree in 1994, Johnson also had served as the Administrative Assistant for Football Operations at the University of North Carolina (1999) and the Manager of Football Operations at Arizona State University (1996-99).
A native of Thomasville, Ga., Johnson and his wife T'Leatha have a son, Aaron.
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