Bruce Johnson

RUNNING BACKS COACH ARIZONA STATE, ’99

COACHING EXPERIENCE:

2019-PRESENT – LIBERTY (RB) 2018 – INDIANA (ASST. AD/ON-CAMPUS RECRUITING) 2012-17 – OLE MISS (QC, OL, TE, RECRUITING) 2010-11 – ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF (ASST. OC, OL) 2006-09 – JACKSON STATE (OL, RECRUITING COORD.) 2002-05 – ALABAMA STATE (TE, OT, RB, RECRUITING COORD.) 2001 – SAN DIEGO (RB) 2000 – PHOENIX COLLEGE (ASST. COACH) 1999 – SHADOW MOUNTAIN HS (ASST. COACH) 1998 – DESERT VISTA HS (ASST. COACH) EDUCATION: BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN BUSINESS (ARIZONA STATE, ’99) WIFE: MICHELLE CHILDREN: JAIDYN, BRAYDEN, AND AYDIN HOMETOWN: PHOENIX, ARIZ.

Another familiar face to Head Coach Hugh Freeze’s career joined Liberty’s football staff when Bruce Johnson was named Liberty’s running backs coach in 2019. Johnson joined Liberty’s coaching staff after serving as an Assistant AD/Director of On-Campus Recruiting at Indiana during the 2018 season. Johnson worked for Freeze in a variety of roles while serving on Freeze’s football staff at Ole Miss. He worked as a recruiting assistant/special teams quality control assistant (2012), assistant offensive line coach (2013-14), assistant tight ends coach (2015-17), offensive quality control assistant (2013-17), coordinator of recruiting development/ academic liaison (2013-15), and senior player personnel analyst (2015-17). Johnson helped the Rebels have a top 10 nationally ranked recruiting class for three-straight seasons (2013-15). Ole Miss had 25 players earn SEC Academic Honor Roll accolades, and 121 players graduated during his time on staff in Oxford, Miss. Under Freeze’s leadership, Johnson helped Ole Miss to bowl games from 2012-15, including back-toback New Year’s Six bowl games (Sugar Bowl and Peach Bowl). The span included victories in the BBVA Compass, Music City, and Sugar Bowl games. Johnson spent over a decade preparing for his time at Ole Miss, starting with working on coaching staffs at Desert Vista High School (1998), Shadow Mountain High School (1999), and Phoenix College (2000). After serving as running backs and tight ends coach at San Diego in 2001, Johnson spent four seasons on staff at Alabama State. He worked with the tight ends and tackles in 2002, running backs in 2003 and tight ends and tackles in 2004-05, while serving, as assistant recruiting coordinator his last three years in Montgomery, Ala. Johnson’s final two stops before joining Freeze at Ole Miss were at Jackson State and Arkansas – Pine Bluff. He served as special teams coordinator and offensive line coach at Jackson State from 2006-09, before working as assistant offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Arkansas – Pine Bluff in 2010 and 2011. Johnson played fullback at Arizona (1995-96) and Norfolk State (1997), while earning his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State in 1999. He and his wife, Michelle, have three children: Jaidyn, Brayden, and Aydin.

FLAMES FLASHBACK: 2019 AND 2020 SEASON REVIEW

• Johnson’s running backs have played a vital role in Liberty winning back-to-back FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl titles in 2019 and 2020. • With the pair of Cure Bowl victories, Liberty became the second FBS transitioning team in NCAA history to win consecutive bowl games during its first two full seasons at the FBS level. • Liberty finished the 2020 season with a 10-1 record and ranked No. 17 in the final Associated Press poll, its highest end-of-the-year national ranking in program history. • Liberty finished the 2020 season ranked No. 12 in first down offense (273 first downs), No. 15 nationally in total offense (482.7 yards per game), and No. 16 in scoring offense (38.2 points per game). • The Flames rushed for a school record 2,776 yards in 2020 and ranked No. 9 in the country in rushing offense (252.4 yards per game). • Liberty rushed for 27 touchdowns in 2020, ranking No. 14 in the country, with four players rushing for three or more touchdowns. • Joshua Mack led Liberty’s running backs in 2020, rushing for 797 yards and four touchdowns, earning him a spot on the Phil Steele FBS Independent All-Conference team for the second year in a row. • Johnson had two of his running backs in 2019 named to the Phil Steele FBS Independent All-Conference team – Frankie Hickson and Mack. • Both Hickson (1,156 yards) and Mack (1,006 yards) finished the 2019 with 1,000 all-purpose yards. • Hickson led the Flames in rushing in 2019 (1,041 yards and 12 touchdowns), becoming the fourth player in program history to record back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons. • Hickson finished his career rushing for 2,898 yards and 29 touchdowns and was the program’s all-time leader in career all-purpose yards (4,494). • Mack, a former Maine running back who led all FCS rushers in 2017, gave the Flames a fierce running back combination, rushing for 792 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019. • Liberty finished the 2019 season ranked No. 32 nationally in total offensive yards per game (439.4) and rushed for 150.5 yards per game and 25 touchdowns in 2019.