In his seven seasons as head coach (six full seasons, accounting for the 2020 campaign shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Johnson has led the Sooners to four NCAA Tournament appearances andthe 2022 College World Series finals. Additionally, 32 players (24 pitchers) have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, 12 have been named to All-America teamsand 22 have been All-Big 12 Conference selections. Since his arrival at OU as pitching coach prior to the 2017 season, the Sooners have had a total of 24 pitchers selected in theMLB Draft.
The 2024 team won the program’s first Big 12 regular season title, winning a program-record 23 conference games en route to winning the league by three games. The Sooners reached the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season and 41st time in program history, winning 40 games for the second time in the last three years. Five Sooners were named to All-Big 12 First and Second Teams, while Easton Carmichael earned NCBWA All-America honors.
The 2023 squad reached the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and the 40th time in program history. Shortstop Dakota Harris was drafted in the 11th round and pitcher Braden Carmichael was named to the All-Big 12 First Team.
In 2022, Johnson led Oklahoma to its 11th College World Series appearance (first since 2010) and its first Big 12 tournament championship since 2013. He was named the 2022 ABCA Central Region Coach of the Year.
The Sooners completed a postseason run entirely away from home to finish as national runners-up, winning the Big 12 Championship in Arlington, Texas, the NCAA Gainesville Regional and the NCAA Blacksburg Super Regional to reach the pinnacle of college baseball in Omaha, Neb. OU went 3-0 in bracket play, defeating Texas A&M twice and Notre Dame to reach the CWS finals. The postseason capped an incredible turnaround in which Oklahoma posted a 27-12 record from April 12 through the end of the season after starting the year 18-12.
Overall, Oklahoma ended the 2022 season with a 45-24 record and a 15-9 mark in Big 12 Conference play. OU’s 45 wins were the most since 2010, the 15 conference wins were its most since 2010 (15-10), and its second-place finish in the regular season standings was its highest since 2010. The Sooners registered at least 40 victories for the 24th time in program history, and first since 2013. Furthermore, Oklahoma won its final six regular season series and won at least two games each week for 10 straight weeks to end the year.
The 2022 squad set numerous benchmarks. The pitching staff totaled a school record 644 strikeouts, surpassing the previous record of 608 set in 2018. OU's 145 stolen bases were the most in a season since 1989 (168 steals). The team’s 73 home runs were its most since 2010 (105) and its .293 batting average was the highest since the 2011 season (.313).
A total of 11 players were selected in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft, including pitcher Cade Horton, who was picked seventh overall. He became the third first-rounder in Johnson’s tenure, joining outfielder Kyler Murray (ninth overall in 2018) and pitcher Cade Cavalli (22nd overall in 2020). Pitcher Jake Bennett and shortstop Peyton Graham were chosen in the second, catcher Jimmy Crooks went in the fourth round, first baseman Blake Robertson was picked in the seventh round, closer Trevin Michael and outfielder Tanner Tredaway were selected in the 10th round and pitcher David Sandlin went in the 11th round of the 2022 draft. It was the second time in three years that OU’s entire weekend rotation was drafted.
While 2022 was a tremendous success, Johnson’s influence on the program began immediately. The OU pitching staffs posted a progressively lower ERA in each of his first four seasons in Norman. Oklahoma’s 3.92 team ERA in 2019 was only the seventh team ERA under 4.00 since 1980, and the first since 2015. In his first two seasons, Sooners pitchers posted two of the top five strikeout totals in program history. A total of 24 pitchers have heard their name called in the Major League Baseball Draft since 2017 and 31 Sooners overall have been drafted by MLB teams since 2018.
Johnson earned his 100th career victory at OU with a 10-4 victory over Kansas on April 9, 2021. First baseman Tyler Hardman earned second-team All-America honors from three outlets (ABCA, NCBWA and Perfect Game) and was selected in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. Pitchers Wyatt Olds (seventh round) and Jason Ruffcorn (eighth round) were also taken in the MLB Draft. Hardman won the Big 12 batting title with a .397 average — the highest by a Sooners since 2001 — and the pitching staff ranked 16th nationally by averaging 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
In the 2020 season shortened due to COVID-19, the Sooners compiled a 14-4 record and climbed as high as No. 9 in the national polls. In the process, OU turned in some historic performances. Dane Acker pitched Oklahoma’s first individual no-hitter since 1989 against No. 11 LSU in the Shriners College Classic, and the pitching staff combined for a Big 12-record 21 strikeouts in one game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Cade Cavalli became OU’s 10th first-round selection in the regular June Major League Baseball Draft when he was selected 22nd overall. A program-record four Sooners were drafted in the first four rounds, including all three pitchers in the weekend rotation (Cavalli, Levi Prater and Acker).
Johnson coached OU to the program’s 38th NCAA Regional appearance in 2018. The Sooners posted a 38-25 record – the highest win total since 2013 – and reached the finals of the Tallahassee Regional. In the process, Oklahoma pitchers set a school record with 608 strikeouts. Outfielder Steele Walker was named a Second-Team All-American by Baseball America and the NCBWA, and pitcher Levi Prater was selected as a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Outfielder Kyler Murray, who went on to win the 2018 Heisman Trophy with the OU football team, was the ninth overall selection in the 2018 MLB Draft. Nine players were drafted, including five in the first 10 rounds (Walker in the second round, pitcher Jake Irvin in the fourth round, pitcher Austin Hansen in the eighth round and outfielder Cade Harris in the 10th round).
Oklahoma pitchers surrendered the fewest home runs in the Big 12 Conference in 2017 and combined for 531 strikeouts to rank fourth in the league and fourth in OU single-season history. The Sooners’ 9.26 strikeouts per nine innings ranked second in the conference. As a team, OU pitchers struck out 10 or more batters on 24 occasions.
Sooner pitchers combined for 17 starts of six innings or more in 2017, including the first two games of the Louisville Regional. Three Oklahoma pitchers were selected in the 2017 MLB Draft. Sooner closer JB Olson was drafted in the 10th round to extend a string of seven straight years with an Oklahoma player chosen in the first 10 rounds. OU saw starter Devon Perez and reliever Vincenzo Aiello selected on day three of the draft.
Prior to coming to Oklahoma, Johnson spent a 25-year coaching career in the state of Texas, including the most recent 10 years as an assistant and associate head coach at the University of Texas.
Johnson was hired as the pitching coach at Texas for the 2007 season under Augie Garrido, who stepped down from his position as the winningest coach in college baseball in May 2016 to take on new duties in the UT athletics department. In 10 seasons, Johnson helped the Longhorns to seven NCAA Regional appearances, four Super Regionals and three College World Series appearances.
During his tenure in Austin, 32 Texas pitchers were selected in the MLB Draft, including 14 in the first 10 rounds and three first-round picks. Johnson also oversaw the development of six Longhorn pitchers who have made it to the big leagues. The Texas pitching staff produced a team earned run average below 3.00 on five occasions and struck out better than 7.5 per-nine-innings in five of his last eight seasons. As Texas reached its second CWS with Johnson on staff in 2011, his pitchers led the Big 12 in ERA (2.35), batting average against (.198) and strikeouts per nine innings (8.28).
Prior to his time in Austin, Johnson was the head coach for 13 years at Navarro College of the NJCAA’s Texas Eastern Athletic Conference. From 1994-2006, he guided the Bulldogs to 13 NJCAA Regionals, nine TEAC championships and four regional titles while compiling 450 wins.
Johnson has mentored a number of players outside of those he has coached at OU, UT and Navarro, regularly working with three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Homer Bailey of the Kansas Oakland Athletics and Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles, among others.
A standout baseball player at Denton High School, Johnson began his collegiate playing career at Ranger (Texas) College. After a two-year career there, Johnson moved on to play baseball at the University of North Texas in 1988 before the school dropped its baseball program. He completed his collegiate playing career at UT-Pan American, lettering for the Broncs in 1989 and receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1990. Johnson earned a master’s degree in education from UT-Tyler in 1993.
A native of Denton, Texas, Johnson and his wife, Cathy, have two sons, Tyler and Garrett.
