Brian Johnson (American football coach) facts for kids
| Washington Commanders | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Assistant head coach/offensive pass game coordinator |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 16, 1987 Barrett Station, Texas, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Robert E. Lee (Baytown, Texas) |
| College: | Utah (2004–2008) |
| Undrafted: | 2009 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
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| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Brian Delance Johnson (born February 16, 1987) is an American football coach. He used to play as a quarterback. Currently, he is the assistant head coach and offensive pass game coordinator for the Washington Commanders in the National Football League (NFL).
Johnson has also worked as an offensive coordinator for college teams like the Utah Utes, Houston Cougars, and Florida Gators. He was also an offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL. He played college football at Utah and briefly played for the United Football League's (UFL) New York Sentinels in 2009.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Brian Johnson was born on February 16, 1987, in Barrett Station, Texas. He went to Robert E. Lee High School. There, he played both football and basketball.
In his final year of high school in 2003, Brian became the starting quarterback. He threw for 2,900 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also ran for 540 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Brian was named the district's Most Valuable Player. He was also chosen for the first-team all-district and second-team all-state. After high school, he was recruited by colleges like Utah, Illinois, and Louisiana Tech.
Playing Career
College Football at Utah
Brian Johnson played college football for the Utah Utes. In 2004, as a freshman, he played in ten games. He was the backup quarterback to Heisman Trophy finalist Alex Smith. Brian scored one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown that year.
In 2005, Brian became the starting quarterback for Utah. He played ten games before a knee injury ended his season. He finished with 2,892 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. He was a top player in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) for total offensive yards.
After surgery, Brian took a year off in 2006 to recover. He returned in 2007, starting ten of eleven games. He threw for 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns. In the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl game, he played very well. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the game.
His final season in 2008 was outstanding. Brian led the Utes to a perfect 13–0 record. They won big games against tough teams like Michigan and TCU. In their last regular season game, Utah beat BYU 48–24. This amazing season earned Utah a spot in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.
In the Sugar Bowl, Brian led Utah to a surprising 31–17 win over fourth-ranked Alabama. He threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns. Brian was named the Sugar Bowl's Most Outstanding Player. Utah finished the season as the only undefeated team in college football. Brian was even featured on the cover of the NCAA Football 10 video game for PlayStation 3.
Brian Johnson became the winningest quarterback in Utah school history. He had a record of 26 wins and 7 losses as a starter.
College Statistics
Here are Brian Johnson's college football statistics:
| Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Rating | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Sack | Att | Yds | TD | |
| 2004 | 7 | 124.42 | 13 | 20 | 65 | 126 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 92 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 10 | 151.01 | 210 | 330 | 63.6 | 2892 | 18 | 7 | 26 | 152 | 478 | 8 | |
| 2006 | Did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | 11 | 129.61 | 181 | 272 | 66.5 | 1848 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 85 | 150 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 13 | 149.43 | 268 | 394 | 68.0 | 2972 | 27 | 9 | 26 | 108 | 128 | 1 | |
| Career | 41 | 138.62 | 672 | 1,016 | 66.14 | 7,838 | 57 | 27 | 75 | 366 | 848 | 12 | |
Professional Playing Career
After college, Brian Johnson was not chosen in the 2009 NFL draft. He was invited to a mini-camp with the Green Bay Packers. He later signed with the New York Sentinels in the United Football League (UFL) in 2009. However, he was released by the team later that year.
Coaching Career
Utah Utes
In January 2010, Brian Johnson started his coaching career. He became the quarterbacks coach at the University of Utah. In 2012, just before his 25th birthday, he was promoted to offensive coordinator at Utah.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
In 2014, Johnson moved to Mississippi State. He became the quarterbacks coach there. This reunited him with coach Dan Mullen, who had offered him a scholarship to Utah years before.
Houston Cougars
On December 27, 2016, Johnson was hired by the Houston Cougars. He took on the roles of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Florida Gators
In December 2017, Johnson joined the University of Florida as quarterbacks coach. He worked with head coach Dan Mullen again. In 2020, he was promoted to offensive coordinator. This made him the first African-American offensive coordinator in the team's history.
Philadelphia Eagles
On January 27, 2021, Brian Johnson was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles. He served as their quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach. In 2023, he was promoted to offensive coordinator. During the season, there were discussions about his playcalling style. He left the team after the season.
Washington Commanders
On February 15, 2024, Johnson was hired by the Washington Commanders. He is now the assistant head coach and offensive pass game coordinator under head coach Dan Quinn.
