Tyler Johnson - Senior Associate Athletics Director of Administration - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Tyler Johnson

Title:
Senior Associate Athletics Director of Administration
Email:
Phone:
(865) 974-1219

Updated: August 2025

Tennessee Senior Associate Athletics Director of Administration Tyler Johnson is a respected senior-level administrator with 30 years of high-major intercollegiate athletics experience.

His knowledge in contract management, compliance, financial/budgetary oversight, human resources, business operations, strategic planning and policy development and implementation make him an invaluable member of Tennessee's executive leadership team. The Chaseburg, Wisconsin, native played a critical role in merging UT's separate men's and women's athletic departments over a decade ago.

Johnson's current responsibilities at Tennessee include administrative oversight of the baseball and swimming & diving programs, the equipment department, and student-athlete housing. He manages UT's athletics apparel and footwear contract with Nike, oversees the Smokey's Sports Grill dining facility and is a member of UTAD's executive leadership team.

He was previously the sport administrator for the Tennessee football program from 2018-20 and the women's soccer program from 2009-12.

As Tennessee's Associate AD for Business & Internal Operations from 2008-17, Johnson oversaw the athletics business office (operations and staff management), was responsible for personnel and vendor services contract management and served as the university purchasing and procurement manager and human resources coordinator for athletics. He also directed the Campus Chest/United Way annual fund for athletics (2014-17) and was appointed to the Chancellor's Emergency Management Plan & Policy Group Committee (2006-18).

Former Tennessee Athletics Director and National Football Foundation Hall of Famer Doug Dickey promoted Johnson to Assistant AD for Operations in 2002, where Johnson also worked closely with compliance. Johnson's initial senior-level administrative responsibilities included managing the department's day-to-day internal operations, scholarship program, squad lists and team and recruiting travel. He shouldered event management responsibilities for special events (NCAA and SEC Championships) and home football gamedays (recruiting facility manager). He also managed the student-athlete dining facility and served as Tennessee's National Letter of Intent (NLI) coordinator.

Johnson's lengthy career at Tennessee began in 1995 in the Athletics Office of Student Life as an academic advisor for the Volunteers' baseball and football programs. From 1997-98, he held a dual role as the baseball program's Director of Operations and Academic Advisor. He then served as an associate director from 1999-2002 and was instrumental in transitioning to Tennessee's then-new Thornton Athletics Student Life Center. While at the Thornton Center, he was the academic advisor for the baseball and football programs while advising post-eligible student-athletes enrolled in UT's Renewing Academic Commitment (RAC) Program.

Incredibly active throughout the campus and community, Johnson has served on the Board of Directors for the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame since 2002. He spent a decade serving on the Chancellor's Council for Diversity & Interculturalism (2007-16). Additional Tennessee service includes, but is not limited to, tenures on the President's Committee on Effectiveness and Efficiency for Athletics (2009-10) and the Steering Committee for the Institute for Leadership, Ethics and Diversity in Sport.

Johnson is a 1994 graduate of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a degree in Physical Education Teaching and a minor in Coaching Competitive Athletics. He earned his Master's degree from Tennessee in Sport Management in 1995.

Johnson and his wife, Catherine—a former UT Athletic Trainer—reside in Maryville, Tennessee, with their children, Mara, Ethan, Keylee and Zoey.