RIVER FOREST, ILL. -- Concordia University Chicago and Cougar Athletics are pleased to welcome John Jaramillo as Director of Athletics beginning on August 13, 2025.

"It is one of the great honors and blessings of my life to be welcomed to the Concordia University Chicago community and entrusted to serve as the Director of Athletics," Jaramillo said. "I am deeply grateful to Vice President Kathy Gebhardt and every member of the search committee for their thoroughness, thoughtfulness, extensive work, and belief throughout the process. I am so thankful to President Russell Dawn, Dr. Chad Kendall, and the Concordia athletics staff for their involvement, excellent insight, and energy when I visited with them and learned from them. I give all glory and gratitude to God for this opportunity to serve and will do so every day to honor this blessing. I thank my family, friends, mentors and colleagues for their unwavering support and guidance in preparing me for this opportunity and keeping my faith strong.
 
"I want to give a special thank you to the Concordia Student Athlete Advisory Committee leadership, namely Kyle Schultz, Jacob Garrison, Haley Gulsby, Arissa Santos, and Linley Southern, during my meeting with them," Jaramillo continued. "Their involvement during the process confirmed to me that Concordia attracts and cultivates student-athletes with the highest levels of character, competitiveness, compassion, and care for this amazing institution. I am looking forward to working with them and every CUC student on making their experience the best it can be."

A visionary and battle-tested leader in intercollegiate athletics, Jaramillo brings more than two decades of experience across athletic administration, strategic communications, enrollment growth, and student development. He carries a deep passion for student-athlete development, a commitment to servant leadership, and a proven track record of advancing athletic programs and building winning cultures through collaboration, character, and faith.
 
"I'm thrilled to welcome John Jaramillo to Concordia University Chicago as the next Director of Athletics," Vice-President for Student Success & Athletics Kathy Gebhardt noted. "His ability to lead, connect, and inspire, along with a deep commitment to integrating the Christian faith into Cougar Athletics, are just a few of the reasons why John was selected for this role.  We are excited about this next chapter in Cougar Athletics history and looking forward to celebrating many future successes as our student-athletes reach new heights both on and off the field."

Jaramillo most recently served as a business and communications consultant, guiding organizations through high-stakes challenges by creating strategic content, marketing plans, and community-building campaigns – a skill set that will directly translate to the development of Cougar Athletics.

Prior to that, he led a transformational tenure as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Roosevelt University for six years where he oversaw a historic merger between Roosevelt and Robert Morris University. Under his leadership, athletic enrollment grew by 233%, annual revenue increased by $8 million, and the department was elevated from NAIA to NCAA Division II, securing membership in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).

He was named Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Athletic Director of the Year in 2021 for his leadership in executing a safe and successful COVID-19 return-to-play plan, and for orchestrating the Roosevelt-Robert Morris athletic merger within the same year. Under his leadership, 80 student-athletes were named to CCAC all-academic team while 11 earned Mid-States Football Association academic honors, and numerous others were named NAIA Scholar-Athletes -- the single most academic honors in one year in the history of Roosevelt Athletics. 

Previously, Jaramillo held roles as Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations and External Affairs at Roosevelt and Communications Director for the American Heart Association in Chicago, where he drove national-level media impact and managed hundreds of community events. With a steady background in communications including Director of Athletic Communications at University of Illinois at Chicago, Communications and Event Management with the Chicago White Sox, and Communications and Event Management for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Jaramillo brings a well-rounded understanding of the inner workings of athletics.

"I can't wait to work with John," President Dr. Russell Dawn said. "His professionalism and emphasis on student formation will help us to elevate our athletic programs and achieve our aspirations. Vice President Gebhardt and I have high expectations for the next stage of Cougar Athletics, and John has the right stuff to help get us there."

 "My vision for Concordia Chicago Athletics is for every program to achieve sustained success," Jaramillo noted. "We are going to set high standards and big goals, and we will work toward those standards and goals every day. We are going to have accountability across the board, where our actions and our words match, and our department will be aligned with the mission, spirit, and priorities of the entire university."

Jaramillo holds a Master of Science in Management and a Bachelor of Science in Media Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is an active member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and College Sports Communicators (CSC) among other national athletic associations. A resident of Oak Park, Illinois, he joins CUC Athletics as an active member of the community and looks to continue to mentor future leaders in sport, service, and storytelling.

"We are going to compete, we are going to win, and we are going to be true to who we are as individuals and as one strong, close-knit community at CUC," Jaramillo said. "I am excited to get to work with everyone."