Johnson called tireless worker

The work ethic that John Johnson developed growing up working in his dad's automotive mechanic shop still serves him well.

Just ask his boss.

"I swear he doesn't sleep," Washington State athletic director Jim Sterk said Wednesday. "He's the first in the office and is working late and with diligence and great intensity."

Johnson, a 50-year-old native of Spokane, Wash., has been Washington State's senior associate athletic director since 2004. Sterk said he would love to keep him but knows that might not be possible.

Johnson, who served as Weber State's athletic director from 1997 to 2004, is one of the final three candidates to fill UNLV's AD vacancy.

Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood and former Oregon and Montana AD Bill Moos are the other finalists. All three will be brought to Las Vegas for interviews, and a job offer is expected to be made no later than Wednesday.

Johnson went from being the boss at Weber State to second-in-charge at Washington State, but Sterk said the move didn't cause problems.

"It's like we're partners," Sterk said. "I certainly consider him an equal in experience and expertise.

"His word is gold, so I don't have to look over my shoulder with him."

Johnson, considered an adept fundraiser, increased sponsorship giving at Weber State by almost 70 percent and annual donations by 50 percent. He ended a 15-year drought in facility construction with improvements in many areas, including a more than $5 million upgrade of the football stadium.

In charge of fundraising at Washington State, Johnson has overseen a 200 percent growth in revenue and is heading a $45 million football stadium expansion project.

"We've done much of the fundraising," Johnson said. "You have to be creative and diligent during a tough economic time, and you visit with people because the economy is going to turn around."

Washington State's $28 million athletic budget is small by Pacific-10 Conference standards but comparable to UNLV's $24 million budget.

The new athletic director's first major decision will be hiring a football coach. Johnson said he has 10 to 15 candidates in mind, many with head coaching experience.

But first Johnson has to land the job.

"UNLV is an aggressive and progressive institution and has a rich tradition in athletics," Johnson said, "and that's appealing to me."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.