Howard Thompson enters his 23rd year at Upper Iowa University in August 2024. Thompson led the Peacocks' sports communication efforts for 17 years and coached in the basketball and men's golf programs for four years.
In August 2023, Thompson was promoted to Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations. He will focus his efforts on alumni and community relations, department fundraising efforts and events and continue to mentor the department's staff in the areas of sports communication and internal operations, as well as lead the department's professional development for coaches and staff.
After serving for 12 years as the Director of Sports Communication, Thompson was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Communication in August 2018. In September of 2021, he was promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Communication. In August 2022, Thompson became the Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations after a year-long transition during the 2022-23 season, where he managed the duties of both communication and internal operations.
Thompson served as the sports administrator for volleyball and men's basketball in 2017-18, women's lacrosse from fall 2020 through March 2022, and women's soccer from fall 2019 through July 2023. He currently holds the sports administrator role with the volleyball, women's basketball, softball and baseball programs.
A native of Farmington, Connecticut, Thompson graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Biology and English from Heidelberg University in 1997 and a Master's Degree in English (scientific and technical communication) from Bowling Green State University in 1999.
Beginning in the summer of 2006, Thompson was named as the Director of Sports Communication at UIU. He served as the Director of Operations at the NCAA Wrestling National Championships in 2023 and served as the Sports Information Director for six NCAA events; the NCAA Women's Golf North Regional in 2007, the NCAA Wrestling National Championships in 2008, the NCAA Wrestling Super Regional 3 in 2013, the NCAA Volleyball National Championships in 2014 and the NCAA Wrestling National Championships in 2018 and 2023. Following the 2018 NCAA Division II Championships, Thompson was named as the Small College Sports Information Director of the Year by the National Wrestling Media Association for his work with UIU wrestling, the NCAA Division II Championships and as the media director for the National Wrestling Coaches Association Rankings Committee (2017-2020).
Thompson was a member of the College Sports Information Directors Association, now College Sports Communicators. He also served as the Chair for the NSIC Sports Information Directors Committee from July 2019 through July 2021.
He came to UIU in 2002 and was named the head men's golf coach (2 years) and assistant men's basketball coach (4 years). Thompson aided Head Coach Dave Martin as the Peacocks made their transition from NCAA Division III to Division II.
Thompson played basketball from 1993-97 at Heidelberg, where he led the Ohio Athletic Conference in blocked shots during the 1996-97 season. He was also awarded the Fischer-Boehm Captain's Award, which is given to a captain that leads the team to a winning season while displaying leadership skills.
Thompson served as the assistant men's basketball coach for five years at Heidelberg after he graduated in 1997. He became an Adjunct Professor in the English Department at Heidelberg in 1999 and served in that role for three years teaching Expository Writing and Technical Writing.
Howard and his wife Jenni (Northrop, UIU Alum '00, '08) reside in Fayette with their twins, Hayden and Addilynn, who were born on October 2, 2008 (UIU's Homecoming Weekend that year).
