Six-member College Sports Communicators Hall of Fame Class of 2025 highlights Special Award honorees
John Painter has compiled an impressive 30-plus year career as an athletic communications leader in both NCAA Division I and Division III. He has served as Assistant AD for Communications at Division III Maryville College (Tenn.) since August 2021.
His previous position was as the Director of Athletic Communications at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York.
During his time at Colgate, Painter was a member of the inaugural CoSIDA/CSC Division I Cabinet – a 10-member board, and served as chair of the NCAA Statistics and Advisory Committee. He earned a CoSIDA/CSC 25-Year Award in 2014.
Painter also served at the University of Tennessee from 2001-2012 as associate media relations director and primary head football coach contact and then as director/chief features writer for the UT websites. During his Tennessee tenure, Painter worked with CoSIDA (CSC) Hall of Fame members Haywood Harris, Bud Ford and Debby Jennings.
While serving at Tennessee and Colgate, Painter earned numerous writing honors in CSC's Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest.
Before joining the Tennessee athletic department, Painter was a senior statistics coordinator at the NCAA for 11 years and was communications coordinator for one year. He held roles as the Media Coordinator for Division I Ice Hockey and Division I-AA Football Championships from 1994 to 2001, as well as managing statistics and records for all three divisions.
Painter began his career as assistant sports information director for women's basketball and football (secondary) at Auburn University from 1988-1989.