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Coach Johnson Celebrates Last Home Meet
September 29, 2017 By Lenox King
By Jenna Hughes
On Saturday, September 16th, Coach Johnson was recognized for his years of service at the Dr. Michael Johnson and Mary Kay Invitational hosted by Berea College.
Coach Johnson is currently coaching his 37th year of cross country and track & field at Berea College. He has also coached swimming for 10 years. Prior to working at Berea, Coach Johnson was a track, swimming, and cross country coach at Union College for three years. At the meet, the men's team placedthird.
On Friday, September 8th, the men's team won the Berea and Centre College Jamboree while the women's team finished in second. Prior to this year, the meet usually changed its name each year to honor an individual. However, going forward, the meet will always be called "The Coach Johnson and Mary Kay Invitational."
Coach Johnson has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments. He has coached 41 N.A.I.A. All-American Scholar-Athletes, 21 N.A.I.A. All-Americans, 2 USCAA Academic All-Americans, and 7 Honorable Mention N.A.I.A. All-Americans.
He has coached 181 different National Qualifiers.
Coach Johnson has been District 32 Coach of the Year a total of 22 times, and Area Coach of the Year 1 time. He was the K.I.A.C. Coach of the Year 18 times, with the most recent being in the fall of 2012 for Men's Cross-Country. He has been the Region XII Coach of the Year 3 times, the 2015 USCAA National Coach of the Year, and 1st Place Meet National Champions. He has coached one Scholar Athlete Award recipient Nathan Smith'17; Emmanuell Kemei '19, Jeremy Johnson '16, Logan McKenzie '19, and Isaiah Dodson '19, achieved First Team All-American. Dylan Watkins '18, made Second Team All-American.
Johnson has coached 15 Track District Championships, 28 Men's Cross Country District/K.I.A.C. Championships, 5 Women's Cross Country Championships, and 1 State Swim Meet Championship.
Coach Johnson has been a professor and advisor at Berea College since 1981. Throughout his career here he has taught a total of 23 different classes in the health and human performance field. Coach Johnson has performed several years of service for various organizations across the country.
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