Rivier athletic Director Jonathan Harper, center, has resigned to take another intercollegiate athletics position in New England, the univesity announced today. (Photo courtesy of Rivier Athletics)

NASHUA – Rivier University athletic director has stepped down to take another position in New England in intercollegiate athletics, it was announced by the school on Wednesday.

Harper, who succeeded longtime legendary AD Joanne Merrill in the summer of 2022, has also been the AD at Newbury College and Marymount California University, an NAIA school.

“With the staff and the student athletes here, I absolutely love this place,” Harper told The Telegraph. “It would have to be an extraordinary opportunity – which I’m fortunate to be walking into – to present itself for me to leave here.”

“The University thanks Jonathan for his contributions to the Raiders’ atheletics, especially in the areas of student-athlete experience and technology,” Rivier presidet Sister Paula Marie Buley said in a university release. “We wish him success in his future endeavors.”

Under his direction, the school reshaped the coaching staff, and this past year Rivier teams had 10 postseason appearances, including the GNAC men’s lacrosse championship and that program’s first-NCAA tourney victory ever, plus women’s hockey reaching and falling in four overtimes in the MASCAC final in March.

Harper also oversaw improvements to the Muldoon Center gym (floor, locker rooms), plus the school’s live streaming of games and athletic fundraising.

“An opportunity presented itself that is really exciting and makes a lot of sense for the next chapter in my career,” Harper said.

The opportunity developed “pretty quickly” Harper said, basically in the last couple of weeks, and he informed Boulay of his decision late last week. He also sent out an email to the Rivier student athlete community and informed the coaches.

University officials say they will conduct a national search, but in the interim the athletic department will be run by Dr. Hank Parkinson, Rivier’s Vice President for Student Experience.

“It was really tough to write that email to the student athletes, and letting the staff know was difficult as well,” Harper said. “There’s been a lot of pride here.”