Rivier has hired Jonathan Harper as its first new athletic director in over 41 years. (Photo courtesy of Rivier University)

NASHUA – After nearly 42 years, the torch has officially been passed at Rivier University.

The college announced on Monday it has hired now-former Director of Athletics at Marymount California University Jonathan Harper is its new athletic director. He replaces the popular retiring longtime Raiders AD Joanne Merrill, whose 41-plus-year era comes to an end, although she will stay on in a transition year in the newly created position of Athletics Project Manager. She plans on retiring after the end of the upcoming school year.

As AD, Harper will now be in charge of all aspects of the schools 15 NCAA Division III athletic programs.

He was at Marymount California, located in Rancho Palos Verdes, Cal., for only one year as its AD – but the short term has a good reason. The school, which was an NAIA school athletically, announced in April it is closing its doors.

“Rivier is delighted to welcome Jonathan back to the New England region as he now joins the Raider community,” Rivier President Sister Paula Marie Buley, IHM said in a release.

As Buley alluded, Harper is no stranger to New England. Before heading out west, he was the AD at Newbury College in Brookline, Mass., a member of the New England Collegiate Conference that was also the athletic home for the now-closed Daniel Webster College in Nashua.

Newbury won three conference titles in Harper’s final year – men’s soccer, plus men’s and women’s track and field. He was the chairman of the NECC Athletic Directors Council and also was a member of the NCAA Division III Membership Committee.

Harper also was an assistant AD/Sports Information Director at Fitchburg (Mass.) State. But he’s had some other high level conference positions as Harper was the Commissioner for the Little East Conference and East Coast Conference, as well as Assistant Commissioner for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (New Haven, CT) and Northeast-10 Conference (South Easton, MA). He’s also taught courses in Sports Management, Business Management and Communications.

“I am honored and appreciative to be selected to lead the Rivier University athletics program,” Harper said in a statement. “The opportunity to return to New England and Division III is a dream come true.”

Harper’s hire is drawing rave reviews from the New England collegiate athletics community.

“Great hire, ” said former Daniel Webster assistant AD Ken Belbin, who worked with Harper at the Northeast-10 and East Coast Conference offices and is currently the AD and physical education director at Presentation of Mary in Hudson. “I think it’s great news for Rivier athletics. The shoes that anyone would have to fill with Joanne’s retirement are enormous but in hiring Jonathan I think they’ve certainly found someone capable of that task.

“His experience extends far beyond just being a dynamic athletic director, since he’s also spent years at the conference administrative level and worked with countless NCAA committees. I think it’s a great move for the university.”

Harper holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a Concentration in Recreation from Bridgewater State University and a Master of Science in Education with Specialization in Sports Management from Nova Southeastern University.

(Rivier Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Michelle Marrone assisted in this report.)