John Karrs is entering his eighth year as Barton College.  In the summer of 2025, Karrs was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Communications after serving seven years as Director of Athletic Communications.  Hired in early September of 2018, Karrs came to the Wilson, N.C., school after 16 years as Lenoir-Rhyne University's Sports Information Director (2002-18).

While at LR, Karrs was named the 2014-15 Jeff L. Norris Non-Faculty Employee of the Year and oversaw 22 sports as SID.  When Karrs started at Lenoir-Rhyne in June of 2002, the school had 12 sports and witnessed rapid growth within the athletic department.

Karrs oversaw numerous regional and NCAA Division II Championships during his tenure at Lenoir-Rhyne including women's basketball, softball, men's and women's soccer, men's lacrosse and women's and men's golf.  Lenoir-Rhyne hosted both the 2014 NCAA Division II Women's Golf and 2015 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships - both at Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, N.C. - and a 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship Football semifinal game.  

Karrs worked two years in the University of Oklahoma in the Athletic Media Relations office (2000-02) and began his career as a Sports Information Intern at Lenoir-Rhyne in 1999-00.  Karrs is a 1999 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne and a 1995 graduate of St. Stephens High School (Wednesday, June, 1, 1994, and Thursday, September 1, 1994).  Karrs is a native of Clearfield, Pa., but spent the majority of his childhood years in Hickory, N.C.  Karrs is a member of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) and NCCSIA (North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association).