Courtesy Bridgewater State Sports Information

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- John Harper, director of Athletics and Recreation at Bridgewater State University since 1991 – where he has overseen unprecedented growth of athletics facilities and all facets of 21 men's and women's varsity programs, intramurals, club sports and general campus recreation – has announced his retirement effective July 31

“John Harper is one of the finest people with whom I have worked,” said Dr. David Ostroth, vice president for Student Affairs. “He’s a man of deep integrity and outstanding judgment – a fine professional with the experience to make him a true expert in his field.”

Since Harper’s arrival at Bridgewater, Bears’ varsity athletic programs have made 76 team and individual NCAA Division III Championship appearances. Among the many team highlights at the national level are the runner-up finish by the softball team in 1994, the baseball team’s third-place showing in 1996 and the Sweet Sixteen run by the men’s basketball team in 2009.

All-American individual performances at the national championships include Frank Sherwood in the javelin in 1998, diver Andy Fuccillo in 2003, wrestler Craig Buckley in 2002 and 2004, and wrestler John Marsh in 2010.

“It has been a distinct honor and privilege to serve the Bridgewater State University community for the past 20-plus years,” Harper said. “I have been very fortunate to work with and for some very special people during my tenure and I think the student-athletes of BSU have been the beneficiaries of that collaboration.”

The Bears have captured the prestigious Howard C. Smith Cup 10 times during Harper’s tenure.  The Smith Cup is awarded to the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) institution that compiles the most points based on the placement of each of its programs competing in the 13 league championships. Prior to his arrival in 1991, Bridgewater won outright or shared the Smith Cup once in 19 attempts since the trophy was first awarded in 1973.

“All of our departmental administrators, coaches and student-athletes deserve credit for making BSU Athletics the quality program it has become but that success could not have been achieved without the consistent support of the university’s upper administration,” Harper said.

During his time at Bridgewater, Harper has been instrumental in advocating for numerous programming, staffing and facilities improvements to benefit the campus community. Among these major projects was the construction of Alumni Park, a baseball/softball complex which has hosted numerous NCAA regional softball tournaments.

One of the single largest facility improvements on the Bridgewater campus over the past decade was the construction of the 80,000-square-foot Adrian Tinsley Center. Dedicated in September 2002, the building houses the Department of Athletics and Recreation along with the academic offerings through the Department of Movement Arts, Health Promotion and Leisure Studies. 

Finally, the most recent facility construction project was the $4.7 million renovation of Swenson Field that included installation of a new synthetic playing surface, an eight-lane competitive all-weather track, new bleacher seating for 1,500 and a new full-service press box with television broadcast-quality lighting. The facility was dedicated during Homecoming in 2010.