On March 5, 2024, Lewis University named John Ashaolu as its Assistant Vice President for Athletics, ushering in a new era of vision, competitiveness, and innovation for the Flyers. Since his arrival, Ashaolu has established himself as a transformational leader in collegiate athletics, driving progress in competitive success, academic achievement, student-athlete experience, and strategic growth.
Since his arrival, Ashaolu has embraced the mantra, “Fly As One,” embedding it within the athletic department and galvanizing the campus, community, and student-athletes around a shared pursuit of excellence. Under his leadership, Lewis University Athletics celebrated a historic 2024-25 season highlighted by:
- National Recognition: Improved from 20th (2023-24) to 11th place in the NCAA Division II Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, the highest finish of any Division I or II school in the state of Illinois.
- Conference Excellence: Captured the third straight GLVC Commissioner’s Cup, Ashaolu’s fifth consecutive across two institutions.
- Championship Success: Won 11 GLVC championships in 2024-25, raising the Flyers’ total to 14 titles under Ashaolu’s tenure (eight conference tournament championships and six regular-season titles).
- National Champion: Crowned an individual NCAA national champion in the long jump at the 2025 Outdoor Championships.
- NCAA Postseason: 17 teams have qualified for NCAA Championships during Ashaolu’s leadership at Lewis.
- Academic Excellence: Achieved a department-wide GPA of 3.45 in 2024-25, with all 22 programs earning a 3.0 or higher.
- Student-Athlete Development: Secured an NCAA grant to fund the department’s first full-time strength and conditioning coach.
- Facility Improvement: Oversaw the opening of a second turf practice field, a $1 million-plus project providing varsity programs a dedicated practice surface mirroring actual game conditions
- Fundraising Momentum: Guided record growth in giving, with a 52% increase in total contributions and a 21% increase in donors compared to the five-year departmental average. The Athletics Annual Fund campaign also raised a record-high $240,000.
Prior to Lewis, Ashaolu spent six years in Pittsburgh, PA as Director of Athletics at Point Park University, transforming the department into the premier program in the River States Conference. Under his leadership, Point Park captured its fourth consecutive All-Sports Commissioner’s Cup in 2024, paving the way for the university’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. Pioneers’ teams and individuals earned six national championships, 18 conference championships, and 28 All-American honors. The 2022–23 season was among the most successful in school history, with seven teams earning conference titles, 10 teams finishing first or second in the league, and 11 student-athletes earning All-American distinctions.
Ashaolu hired 11 head coaches during his tenure at Point Park University and saw 18 coaches collectively go on to earn River States Conference Coach of the Year honors with his keen eye for coaching talent. Academically, student-athletes maintained a 3.15 GPA or higher every semester, peaking with a school record of 3.45 cumulative GPA in 2020–21. He spearheaded the River States Conference Diversity Internship Program to expand representation in collegiate athletics and oversaw major facility upgrades, including a state-of-the-art Esports Arena, Pioneer Sports Medicine Facility, and enhancements to baseball and basketball venues.
On the fundraising front, Ashaolu launched the school’s first Corporate Partnership Program, securing national sponsors such as Red Bull. He also led Point Park’s inaugural “Day of Giving,” raising $62,000 in one day through 404 gifts. Between 2019 and 2024, annual giving grew by 30%, alongside targeted sport-specific fundraising efforts and expanded game-day engagement.
Beyond campus, Ashaolu is an active voice across collegiate athletics. He serves on the board of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA), and is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD). He currently serves on the advisory board of Business of Small College Athletics (BOSCA) and has participated in the Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium (CALS). Currently, he serves on the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Regional Advisory Committee for the Midwest Region.
Earlier in his career, Ashaolu served as Director of Athletics at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), where he unified 16 athletic programs across four campuses under a strategic plan. Before that, he was Director of Athletics and Student Programs at the Community College of Beaver County, doubling sport offerings, launching the school’s first athletic website, and raising funds for scholarships and facilities. He began his athletics career on the coaching side, serving with men’s basketball programs at Trinity Valley Community College, Duquesne University, and East Carolina University, before moving into administration. His first leadership role came as Director of Athletics at Seton LaSalle High School in Pittsburgh.
A former NCAA Division I basketball student-athlete, Ashaolu competed at the University of New Orleans before finishing his playing career at Xavier University of Louisiana, where he helped lead the team to a national tournament appearance in his senior season. He earned a master’s degree in sports leadership from Duquesne University and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations from Xavier University of Louisiana.
A native of Toronto, Canada, John and his wife Ashley are proud parents of three children: daughters Patience and Sloan, and son Carmelo.
