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Larry Johnson (coach)
Encyclopedia
Larry Johnson is an American football
coach, currently serving as defensive line coach at Penn State University
. He is the father of NFL running back
Larry Johnson and former Penn State wide receiver Tony Johnson.
, Johnson has been the defensive line coach at Penn State since 2000. From 1996-1999 he served as the Nittany Lions'
defensive end
s and special teams coach. In that time, Johnson has become a national power in recruiting, consistently landing top talent from the mid-Atlantic states.
He has been instrumental in the development of four first-team All-America
ns: first-round NFL draft choices Tamba Hali
, Michael Haynes, and Jimmy Kennedy, and former #1 overall selection Courtney Brown.
Johnson was offered the defensive coordinator
and assistant head coach
job at Illinois
in January 2009. He ultimately decided to continue at Penn State.
On November 10, 2011 Tom Bradley
announced that Johnson and Linebackers coach
Ron Vanderlinden
would serve as co-defensive coordinators.
Johnson is said to be among the candidates to succeed Joe Paterno
on a permanent basis. Other candidates include Tom Bradley)
, Ron Vanderlinden
, and Dan Mullen
.
, Johnson was a six-time coach-of-the-year, and architect of one of the winningest football programs in the Maryland public school system. From 1983-91, Johnson's teams at Maurice J. McDonough High School in Pomfret, Maryland
were annually ranked among the top squads in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In his final eight years, his teams amassed an 82-10 record, made eight consecutive appearances in the state playoffs, were 8-2 in championship games and captured three Division 3A state championships (1983, 1985, and 1990). His overall record as head coach was 139-36.
From 1992-93, Johnson was head coach at T. C. Williams High School
in Alexandria, Virginia
(made famous by the film Remember the Titans
), hired by his brother AK Johnson, the school's Athletic Director.
, earning NAIA
All-America
honors there in 1973. After graduation, he played one season in the NFL
with the Washington Redskins
.
for Penn State from 2000-2003. Johnson was initiated as a member of Iota Phi Theta fraternity while attending ECSU.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach, currently serving as defensive line coach at Penn State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. He is the father of NFL running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Larry Johnson and former Penn State wide receiver Tony Johnson.
Collegiate coaching career
A native of Williamston, North CarolinaWilliamston, North Carolina
Williamston is a town in Martin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,843 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Martin County. The closest major city is Greenville, approx. 28 mi to the southwest.-Geography:...
, Johnson has been the defensive line coach at Penn State since 2000. From 1996-1999 he served as the Nittany Lions'
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
s and special teams coach. In that time, Johnson has become a national power in recruiting, consistently landing top talent from the mid-Atlantic states.
He has been instrumental in the development of four first-team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
ns: first-round NFL draft choices Tamba Hali
Tamba Hali
Tamba Boimah Hali is an American football outside linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League. He was the 20th overall pick out of Penn State in the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Michael Haynes, and Jimmy Kennedy, and former #1 overall selection Courtney Brown.
Johnson was offered the defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and assistant head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
job at Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
in January 2009. He ultimately decided to continue at Penn State.
On November 10, 2011 Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley
Thomas or Tom Bradley is the name of:*Tom Bradley , mayor of Los Angeles, California*Tom Bradley , American novelist and essayist...
announced that Johnson and Linebackers coach
Linebackers coach
A linebackers coach is a position coach in charge of the linebackers in gridiron football. This role is common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The linebackers coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator and works with the players of the three linebacker...
Ron Vanderlinden
Ron Vanderlinden
Ron Vanderlinden is an American college football coach. He is currently the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Penn State University. Vanderlinden previously served as the head coach at the University of Maryland from 1997 to 2000....
would serve as co-defensive coordinators.
Johnson is said to be among the candidates to succeed Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
on a permanent basis. Other candidates include Tom Bradley)
Tom Bradley (American football)
-External links:*...
, Ron Vanderlinden
Ron Vanderlinden
Ron Vanderlinden is an American college football coach. He is currently the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Penn State University. Vanderlinden previously served as the head coach at the University of Maryland from 1997 to 2000....
, and Dan Mullen
Dan Mullen
-External links:** on Bulldog Junction's website* article on Coach Mullen as new MSU head coach* Dan Mullen goes from Trinity star QB to Mississippi State head coach...
.
High school coaching
A legendary prep coach in the state of MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Johnson was a six-time coach-of-the-year, and architect of one of the winningest football programs in the Maryland public school system. From 1983-91, Johnson's teams at Maurice J. McDonough High School in Pomfret, Maryland
Pomfret, Maryland
Pomfret is a small crossroads in Charles County, Maryland. Maurice J. McDonough High School is nearby and has a Pomfret mailing address. The active historic Catholic church established by Father George Hunter, S.J. in 1763 is located in Pomfret. The current structure dates from 1849...
were annually ranked among the top squads in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In his final eight years, his teams amassed an 82-10 record, made eight consecutive appearances in the state playoffs, were 8-2 in championship games and captured three Division 3A state championships (1983, 1985, and 1990). His overall record as head coach was 139-36.
From 1992-93, Johnson was head coach at T. C. Williams High School
T. C. Williams High School
T. C. Williams High School is a public high school in Alexandria, Virginia, named after former superintendent Thomas Chambliss Williams of Alexandria City Public Schools who served from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s...
in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
(made famous by the film Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...
), hired by his brother AK Johnson, the school's Athletic Director.
Career as a player
Johnson was a standout linebacker at Elizabeth City State UniversityElizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University is a public, historically black college located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in the United States...
, earning NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors there in 1973. After graduation, he played one season in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Personal
Johnson maintains a very close relationship with his son Larry, who has repeatedly referred to his father as his "best friend" and "the only person in the world he completely trusts" in interviews. Johnson's younger son Tony, was a starting wide receiverWide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for Penn State from 2000-2003. Johnson was initiated as a member of Iota Phi Theta fraternity while attending ECSU.
External links
- Passion still runs high for PSU's Johnson, The Morning Call, February 23, 2008
- PSU coach Larry Johnson stays close to southern roots, Frank Bodani, York Daily RecordYork Daily RecordThe York Daily Record/York Sunday News is a morning newspaper that serves York, Pennsylvania.The paper, printed in a broadsheet format, is published seven days a week...
, August 31, 2009,