Wisconsin makes the hiring of Al Johnson as running back coach official

Paul Chryst adds another former Badger with NFL experience to the coaching staff.

Last week at this time, it was reported that former Wisconsin offensive lineman, Al Johnson, would join the Badgers coaching staff. 

Well, on Thursday afternoon the program made the hiring official, sharing that he would indeed be coaching the running backs in 2022. 

Welcome home, @Coach_AlJohnson 👐

A great coach, a tremendous person, and a perfect addition to our staff! pic.twitter.com/ANKvYHG66l

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) March 17, 2022

Johnson comes back to Wisconsin after serving as the head coach of East Central Unversity, a DII program in Oklahoma, since 2018. Prior to his time with East Central, Johnson was a graduate assistant under Paul Chryst with the Badgers and also spent time as the offensive coordinator at Saint Norbert College (DIII). 

In a press release shared by the university, Paul Chryst had this to say about the choice to add Johnson:

“I’m really excited to be able to bring Al back,” Chryst said. “He’s a great coach and a tremendous person. His experience as a head coach and in all facets of the offense will help us immensely. Al truly cares about the players and helping them in their development and he is a great addition to our staff." 

A native of Wisconsin, the move for Johnson seems to be a dream come true...

"My family and I are thrilled to be back at Wisconsin," Johnson said. "I'm incredibly thankful to Coach Chryst for this opportunity. It's truly an honor. You can't say no to the Wisconsin Badgers."

"The absolute best part of coaching is helping to develop players on and off the field. I wouldn't be where I am today or have accomplished the things I have in my career without the people at Wisconsin who set me up for success. My goal is to do the same thing for our players. When you add to that the opportunity to help our guys uphold the tradition we have at running back, this is a fantastic opportunity. I'm truly grateful."

The hiring of Johnson while exciting does come at the same time as the news that former running backs coach Gary Brown has stepped away from the program due to health concerns. According to Wisconsin, Brown has assumed an off-field role with the program. 

The fit for Johnson as a running backs coach will be something to watch considering he has no experience at the position, but in terms of understanding Paul Chryst's system and the program, it is hard to argue with the hire. 

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