Recruiting Areas
Ohio (Youngstown, Canton), Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee (Nashville), Illinois (Chicago), Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota
Jay Johnson is entering his first season as wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator for the Oberlin College football team.
Johnson arrived in Oberlin after 14 seasons of coaching high school football in Indiana, 11 of which came at South Bend Washington High School where he helped the Panthers reach the state championship game in 2011 as an assistant coach. The 2015 Northern Indiana Athletic Conference (NIC) Coach of the Year, Johnson served as head coach of the Panthers for seven seasons from 2012-18.
Johnson transitioned to Marian High School in 2019 as the wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator, helping the Knights reach the state semifinals in each of his three seasons on staff, while mentoring numerous players through the collegiate recruiting process with two of his former players reaching the NFL.
A native of Starkville, Mississippi, Johnson played collegiately under legendary head coach Lou Holtz at the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 2001 with bachelor’s degree in sociology and computer applications. On the field, Johnson caught 15 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns in 36 career games played. He went on to play professionally for three seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL).
As a senior at Starkville High School, he helped his team to an undefeated 15-0 record and the class 4-A state championship in 1995.
Johnson, who was a teacher at South Bend Washington for 12 years, earned a master's degree in education from Indiana University in 2020.
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