Jonathan Terrell was named the Nicholls State University's Director of Athletics on June 22, 2020.
Terrell, who is the first Black athletic director in Nicholls history, has more than two decades of proven sales and coaching success.
"I am grateful to Dr. Clune and the committee for giving me the opportunity to work at a place that I love," Terrell said. "I am honored to be able to lead this department and continue the climb. Whether it's in the classroom, on the field of play or in the community, we will be one team with one goal in mind, winning."
"An athletic director doesn't win a single game," said Nicholls President Dr. Jay Clune. "You need someone of superior judgment to put the right team of coaches in place to be successful.
Jonathan Terrell has that judgment. Going into the search, I was looking for someone of unquestionable integrity and character who could raise money. I couldn't be happier with our selection."
Terrell takes over an athletic department in the midst of historic success both athletically and academically. Football has won back-to-back Southland Conference championships for the first time in school history, while women's basketball, men's basketball, and softball each won a regular season or tournament title in 2018. In the spring, Nicholls posted its highest ever term grade-point average, 3.31, and enjoyed its 10th year in a row of successful NCAA Academic Progress Rate scores.
Colonel Athletics have been growing in popularity with season ticket sales on the rise. Additionally, the athletic department received the largest single gift in Nicholls history to renovate and expand Barker Hall.
Terrell played quarterback and wide receiver at Nicholls from 1993-96 when head football coach
Tim Rebowe was still an assistant coach for the Colonels, and worked with the program as a student assistant during the 1997-1998 seasons. After six years in the high school coaching ranks – including five at Vandebilt Catholic High School – Terrell returned to Nicholls to coach quarterbacks during the 2004 season for coach Darryl Daye.
Since leaving the coaching ranks, Terrell has excelled as a leader, fundraiser, sales professional and brand manager. He spent 2005-2010 in sales with Sanofi-Aventis before joining Lifescan as a senior territory business manager. In 2012, he joined Novo Nordisk as a territory manager and grew revenue in the territory by 30 percent in his first year. The following year he joined Zoll Medical Lifevest as a senior territory manager. He was named regional manager of the year three times from 2015-2017, and the top territory manager out of 550 in 2017.
Since 2005, he has also put his networking and strategic management skills to work for the Colonel Athletic Department. As president of The First Down Club, he grew membership by more than 150 percent and raised revenue from $8,000 to more than $100,000. He co-founded the Huddle Up Club in 2015 and has served as president for the last five years. He raised more than $60,000 for the football program through fundraising events. He also saved the athletic department $30,000 through volunteer efforts, including cleaning up John L. Guidry Stadium. The program is now the largest sport-specific booster club in Nicholls history.
Terrell is also deeply involved in the community, serving on the board of Hi-5, an after school development program in Thibodaux, and serves on various committees for First United Methodist Church in Thibodaux.
Colonel Pride is abundant through the Terrell family. His wife, Taryn (BA '99), daughter Katelyn (BA '19) and son-in-law Darius Coleman (BA '18) are Nicholls alum. Katelyn is also an admissions counselor in the Office of Enrollment Services. Twin daughters Meagan, a psychology major, and Makena, a business major, are currently sophomores at Nicholls. Maegan, and nephew, Tyrease Terrell, are student-athletes, playing soccer and basketball, respectively, for the Colonels. His youngest son, Jacob, is a die-hard Colonel fan.
