David Johnson | University of Arkansas

David Johnson joins the Arkansas staff from Florida State, where he coached the Seminoles running backs and served as the program’s recruiting coordinator since 2020.

Throughout his career, he has coached 19 all-conference players who have earned a combined 29 all-conference honors, including Special Teams Player of the Year. At least one Johnson coached player has heard his name called in seven consecutive drafts (2018-24).

Florida State’s rushing attack led the ACC in yards per game this past season, averaging 218.7 yards while scoring a league-best 31 rushing touchdowns.

While at Florida State, Johnson helped build the Seminoles back into a national power in 2023 when the team went 13-0 during the regular season, including an ACC Championship. The Seminoles averaged 34.6 points per game – bolstered by 20 different players scoring at least one touchdown to match a program record – and ranked 18th in the country. The Seminoles also led the ACC with 61 total touchdowns scored, including 32 on the ground. Trey Benson finished the season with 1,133 all-purpose yards to go with 14 rushing touchdowns and one receiving score. His 14 rushing TDs total tied for seventh on FSU’s single-season list and ranked second in the ACC and 15th nationally that year. Lawrance Toafili earned ACC Championship Game MVP after running for a career-high 118 yards, including a career-long 73-yard run, and the go-ahead touchdown in Florida State’s 16-6 victory.

Johnson’s running backs contributed to one of the most explosive offenses in the nation in 2022 while helping lead FSU to a 10-3 record and a final ranking of No. 10 in the Coaches Poll and No. 11 in the AP poll. Florida State led the nation averaging 7.5 plays of 20-plus yards per game, the program’s highest season average since the 2013 national championship season. The team’s 214.1 rushing yards per game were the most by a FSU team since 1995, fueled by eight games of 200+ yards rushing, including seven consecutive to end the regular season.

The Seminoles’ offense led the ACC in eight different categories: third-down offense, yards per pass, yards per play, yards per rush, total offense, yards per completion, rushing offense and scoring offense. FSU was the first team to lead the ACC in scoring and total offense in the same season since 2019 and was one of only two teams nationally to lead its conference in yards per rush, yards per pass and yards per play in 2022.

Florida State’s average of 214.1 rushing yards per game was the program’s most since 1995, fueled by eight 200-yard rushing games, including a school-record-tying seven consecutive to end the regular season. In the season opener, FSU had three 100-yard rushers for the first time in school history and in the regular season finale, a 45-38 win over Florida, the Seminoles’ five rushing touchdowns were the most by a Gator opponent since 1997.

Benson led the running backs with five 100-yard rushing games and led the league with his average of 5.5 yards per carry to earn Second-Team All-ACC. Treshaun Ward, who recorded a pair of 100-yard rushing games, was an honorable mention all-conference selection and semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy despite missing four games due to injury. Johnson’s running backs combined for 2,283 rushing yards and 24 scores.

The 2021 season featured a breakout performance by All-ACC running back Jashaun Corbin. The redshirt sophomore gained 1,159 all-purpose yards with an average of 6.2 yards per carry to lead the ACC and rank 16th nationally among ball carriers with at least 10 rushing attempts per game. Corbin’s speed was on display with touchdown runs of 89 yards against Notre Dame and 75 yards against Louisville. He was the only player in the ACC and one of six in the FBS with multiple 75-yard runs during the 2021 season and only the fourth player in FSU history with multiple 75-yard touchdown runs in a season.

In his first year at Florida State, Johnson coached a room full of newcomers as Florida State’s running back room returned zero scholarship players from the 2019 season. He utilized the group’s youth and versatility to account for 1,855 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Seminoles averaged 199.9 rushing yards per game, the program’s best since 2016. In the season finale, a 56-35 win over Duke, Florida State rushed for six touchdowns – just the second time in program history with six rushing touchdowns in a league game – and 346 yards – the most by Florida State since 2012.

Prior to Florida State, Johnson coached at Tennessee for two years, leading the Volunteers’ wide receivers in 2018 before taking of the team’s running backs in 2019. RB Eric Gray broke UT’s single-game true freshman rushing record with 246 yards against Vanderbilt, a total that ranked fifth on the Vols’ all-time list. Nationally, it was the ninth-highest single-game total, and most by a true freshman, in 2019. Gray earned Gator Bowl MVP after recovering an onside kick and scoring the game-winning touchdown 30 seconds later. The 2018 team ranked sixth in the SEC with an average of 7.9 yards per catch and had four different receivers average more than 14.0 yards per reception, led by Josh Palmer’s 21.04 average.

He coached alongside Silverfield at Memphis during the 2016-17 seasons as the Tigers’ wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. He developed former walk-on Anthony Miller into a consensus All-American in 2017 after Miller led the country with 18 receiving touchdowns, ranked third with 1,462 receiving yards and fifth with 96 receptions. Miller was selected 51st overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Memphis concluded the 2017 season ranked second in the country in points per game (45.5), fourth in total offense (523.1), sixth in passing efficiency (160.2) and seventh in passing yards per game (335.0)

The 2016 season was Miller’s breakout year as he re-wrote Memphis’ single-season records with 95 catches, 1,434 yards and 14 touchdowns. Those numbers all improved in Johnson’s second season working with Miller. The 2016 Tigers ranked 14th in the country with 304.4 passing yards per game, and their 38.8 points-per-game average was 15th.

Johnson spent four seasons at Tulane coaching running backs and tight ends. The Green Wave played in the team’s first bowl game in over a decade in 2013 when RB Orleans Darkwa earned MVP honors in the New Orleans Bowl after scoring three touchdowns. Johnson also developed a pair of Freshman All-Americans in RB Sherman Badie and TE Charles Jones.

Johnson began his coaching career at his alma mater, John F. Kennedy HS in Louisiana, as the team’s wide receivers and tight ends coach before becoming the offensive coordinator at O. Perry Walker HS (La.). As offensive coordinator at John F. Kennedy HS and O. Perry Walker HS. He helped direct O. Perry Walker to three straight district championships and the 2002 state championship game while coaching All-American Craig Davis, a first-round selection by the Chargers in 2007 after winning a national championship at LSU, and Mike Wallace, who was taken in the third round in 2009 out of Ole Miss.

Johnson got his first taste of college football at Millsaps College for four seasons (2005-08) as the wide receivers and tight ends coach. He returned to high school football in 2009 when he began a successful stint as the head coach at St. Augustine HS (La.). He led the Purple Knights to district titles in 2010 and 2011, earning the district’s Coach of the Year honor in 2011. During his time at St. Augustine, he coached future NFL players and All-Americans Tyrann Mathieu and Leonard Fournette Jr.

Johnson played at Nicholls State, where he earned All-Southland Conference honorable mention as a wide receiver in 1992 and again as a wide receiver and punt returner in 1993. He led the Colonels in each of those seasons, combining for 50 receptions for 990 yards and eight touchdowns over those two years.

Johnson and his wife, Akeia, have two sons – Jermaine and Karaaz – and one daughter – De’Von.

The Johnson File

Birthdate: August 7, 1971

Hometown: New Orleans, La.

High School: John F. Kennedy HS (La.)

College: Nicholls State, 1995

Family: Wife – Akeia; Sons – Jermaine and Karaaz; Daughter – De’Von

Coaching Experience

1997-99 John F. Kennedy HS (La.) – Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

2000-04 O. Perry Walker HS (La.) – Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers

2005-08 Millsaps College – Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

2009-11 St. Augustine HS (La.) – Head Coach

2012-15 Tulane – Running Backs/Tight Ends

2016-17 Memphis – Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coordinator

2018 Tennessee – Wide Receivers

2019 Tennessee – Running Backs

2020-25 Florida State – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator

Playing Experience

1991-93 Nicholls State