LEWISTON, Idaho – Jim Klemann, current athletic director at Rocky Mountain College, has been named the director of athletics at Lewis-Clark State College, school administrators announced on Monday. He will join LC State on Oct. 1.
The hiring concludes a comprehensive search process that included a month of campus and community listening sessions, and a national search that attracted over 90 applicants. Three finalists visited campus between Aug. 26-29 for a full day of meetings, a campus presentation, and a community meet and greet.
“We are thrilled to add Jim Klemann to our talented team in Warrior athletics,” LC State President Cynthia Pemberton said. “In a very competitive search, Jim stood out for his demonstrated leadership and communication skills, energy, and vision, and for his record and obvious strengths in building relationships. The listening sessions underscored the importance of relationship building on campus and in the community, and we have every reason to believe that Jim will excel in this area.”
Klemann has been athletic director at Rocky Mountain, in Billings, Montana, since 2021, where he oversees a nationally competitive athletic department consisting of 15 programs, 430 student-athletes, and 35 coaches and support staff. Prior to this he served at the University of Jamestown, in Jamestown, North Dakota, from 2007-2021 in a variety of roles including assistant athletic director, director of annual giving, director of transfer admissions, and assistant baseball coach/athletic game manager.
“My family and I are grateful for this opportunity to join Lewis-Clark State College and Warrior athletics,” Klemann said. “I would like to thank Dr. Pemberton, the search committee, and the LC State community for entrusting me to serve our Warrior student-athletes and coaches. I look forward to engaging with the campus, the LC Valley, and the alumni and supporters that have made this institution incredibly special. This is a true honor and I am excited for the next chapter of Warrior athletics."
At LC State, Klemann will be charged with leading 14 intercollegiate athletic NAIA programs, many of which are consistently ranked in the top 25 nationally. LC State also hosts the Avista NAIA World Series, one of the NAIA’s premier national championship events.
“Jim’s experience and success as an athletic director at a small NAIA school in the northwest that competes in the Frontier and Cascade Collegiate Conferences will help him hit the ground running,” Pemberton said.
Klemann played baseball as a student-athlete at Jamestown and served as an assistant coach there from 2007-2011. He was a part of the school’s 2008 trip to the Avista NAIA World Series.
“The search committee included representation from the community, athletic department, coaching staff, and from across campus,” Pemberton said. “I thank the committee, campus, and community for helping achieve a very thoughtful and thorough process, and successful outcome. Go Warriors!”