Johnny Johnson
Wrestling Coach Courses Taught Having guided three national champion wrestlers over the past six years and taken 31 wrestlers to the national meet, Johnny Johnson begins his 10th season as UW-Stevens Point's head coach and his 14th year overall in the Pointers' program in 2007-08. Johnson took four wrestlers to the national meet in 2007 and has now trained 17 All-American performances, including 14 in the past five seasons. He has taken wrestlers to the national meet in every one of his nine seasons and coach at least one All-American performance seven straight years. Johnson coached three-time national finalist Yan White, who won the 2002 national title, and three-time All-American and 2003 national champion Cody Koenig. He also worked with national champion Brad Marten during the 2003 season as the Pointers achieved a school record third place finish at the national meet. Johnson also worked closely with 2004 Olympic qualifier and former UW-Stevens Point assistant coach Dennis Hall, joining him in the corner during the Olympic trials and making the trip to Athens, Greece. UW-Stevens Point placed 20th at the national meet in 2006-07, marking its fifth straight top 20 finish. The Pointers have also finished among the top three teams in the competitive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference every season during Johnson's tenure, including a second place performance the past five seasons. In 2003-04, the Pointers finished undefeated in WIAC dual meets for the first time since 1993. Prior to becoming head coach, Johnson served as the Pointers’ top assistant and the state coach for the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation. Johnson’s strong technical background is the cornerstone to his coaching philosophy. Before coming to UW-Stevens Point, Johnson served as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota for eight seasons. There he was instrumental in developing 18 All-Americans, 10 Big Ten Champions, and a No. 1 dual team ranking in 1994. Johnson has worked with some of the nation’s top coaches at every level, including Stan Abel at Oklahoma, J. Robinson at Minnesota, and Marty Loy at UW-Stevens Point. Johnson wrestled collegiately at the University of Oklahoma, where he was a two-time Division I All-American for the Sooners while compiling 135 wins over four seasons and a redshirt year. After college, he gained considerable international experience as a member of three U.S. National teams and an alternate to the 1988 U.S. Olympic squad. Having completed his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism at Oklahoma and his Master’s in Education at UW-Stevens Point, Johnson teaches Adventure Education in the School of Health, Exercise Science and Athletics at UW-Stevens Point and coordinates Adventure Education minor, which he helped developed for the school of HESA. A native of Midwest City, Okla., Johnny and his wife, Julie, have three children – son, Jesse, and daughters, Taylor and Gabrialla. They reside in Plover. |
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