BJ Johnson - Football Coach

BJ Johnson

Title:
Wide Receivers Coach

BJ Johnson was hired as the wide receivers coach at TU in December 2025.
Johnson spent the last three seasons at Georgia Southern University and with the Eagles, Johnson coached five all-conference selections and the 2025 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year, Cameron Brown, who led the Georgia Southern team in receptions (63), yards (1,049), and touchdowns (14). Brown had five games with over 100 yards receiving during the 2025 campaign.
The receivers for Georgia Southern recorded 2,495 yards on 190 receptions. The Eagles had three players with over 40 receptions in 2025, including two receivers with 50 or more receptions.
In 2025 Marcus Sanders Jr. had 725 receiving yards and four scores, while Dalen Cobb had 471 yards on 52 receptions with three touchdowns.
The Georgia Southern receivers delivered in 2024, combining for 206 receptions, 2,527 yards, and 15 touchdowns. Leading the group, Derwin Burgess Jr. posted 59 catches for 659 yards and earned honorable mention honors after the season.
In 2023, Johnson helped mentor several receivers who had big years, including record-setting Khaleb Hood (101 receptions, 948 yards, five TDs) and Derwin Burgess Jr. (74 receptions, 813 yards, six TDs).
The Eagle passing offense finished in the top 20 nationally in passing yards per game. Burgess Jr. went on to earn All-Sun Belt honors in 2024, while six receivers had at least 20 receptions, with Josh Dallas leading the way with six touchdown catches.
In his year at Gardner-Webb with Coach Lamb, Johnson helped lead the Runnin’ Bulldogs to the program’s first title in 19 seasons as they advanced to the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
A pair of Johnson’s receivers - TJ Luther and Cutrell Haywood - were both named first-team All-Big South honors, while Luther was named a third-team All-American by Phil Steele.
Luther flourished under Johnson, hauling in 63 passes for 1,166 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games – averaging 18.5 yards per reception. He had seven games with at least 100 yards receiving in 2022, paced by a five-catch, 188-yard outing at Coastal Carolina.
Luther, who is only the third receiver in the program’s Division I era to post a 1,000-yard season, accepted an invitation to play in the prestigious NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in advance of the NFL Draft.
Haywood also enjoyed a career-best year, catching 78 passes for 775 yards and seven touchdowns. He led the Big South in receptions while notching six of his seven touchdowns against conference opponents.
Prior to his stint at Gardner-Webb staff, Johnson spent a season on the sidelines at Texas Tech, where he spent one year as an offensive graduate assistant with the Red Raiders’ inside receivers and tight ends.
He was part of an offensive staff that helped the program to seven wins and a 34-7 win over Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl. Texas Tech averaged 416.4 yards of total offense per game and scored 30.3 points per game.
Johnson spent the 2020 season in the PAC-12 at Colorado, serving as a defensive graduate assistant. He helped the Buffaloes to a 4-2 record and a berth in the Valero Alamo Bowl during his time in Boulder.
Prior to his move to the FBS ranks, Johnson spent the 2019 season at Division II Savannah State as the receivers coach. Johnson helped the Tigers to a 7-3 mark, which was the program’s first winning campaign in 22 years. Savannah State finished the 2019 season with a perfect 5-0 mark in the SIAC.
Johnson was a volunteer coach at Woodruff (S.C.) High, his alma mater, after a strong college career at Georgia Southern.
As a receiver for Georgia Southern, he caught 93 balls for 1,338 yards and six touchdowns from 2013-2016, averaging 14.4 yards per catch for the Eagles.
He helped Georgia Southern to a 2015 GoDaddy Bowl win over Bowling Green and was voted to the program’s 40th Anniversary Team as one of the four receivers to make the squad.
He graduated with a degree in sport management from Georgia Southern in May of 2016.
After his college career, Johnson signed a free agent deal with the San Francisco 49ers and made the team before a hamstring injury in the first week of the 2017 regular season cut his career short.
Johnson played prep football at Woodruff High, earning all-state honors twice after catching 165 passes for 2,780 yards and 30 touchdowns during a stellar career.