Former Wisconsin running backs coach set to take offensive line job at AAC program

Former Wisconsin running backs coach takes offensive line job at AAC program

Former Wisconsin running backs coach Al Johnson is expected to join Temple as its offensive line coach, according to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer.

Johnson spent the 2022 season with the Badgers. He’s most recently coached offensive line at Montana State (2023-24), where he helped lead the team to Football Championship Subdivision-best scoring totals.

His season at Wisconsin is his only as a running backs coach at any level. His coaching career has included stops as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Southern Door High School (2013), the same position at St. Norbert (D-III, 2014-15), a graduate assistant at Wisconsin (2016-17) and the head coach at East Central (D-II, 2018-21).

Johnson has then excelled coaching offensive line at Montana State over the past two seasons. He is now set to join new head coach K.C. Keeler’s Temple staff, one looking to turn around a program that has gone 3-9 in each of the last four seasons.

Wisconsin’s hire of Johnson in 2022 was one of several major moves as Paul Chryst overhauled his coaching staff. Other moves in that time include the hire of Bobby Engram as offensive coordinator, Chris Haering moving from special teams to tight ends and Bob Bostad moving from inside linebackers to offensive line,

That staff didn’t get much time to turn the team around, as Chryst was fired in early October after a 2-3 start. Luke Fickell then installed an entirely new coaching staff after taking the job in late-November.

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A look at Wisconsin football’s entire coaching staff for the 2022 season

Here is a look at Wisconsin football’s revamped coaching staff for the 2022 season:

When Wisconsin football returns to the field this fall, it will look significantly different from the one fans saw last winter in the Las Vegas Bowl against Arizona State, especially on the sideline.

After a disappointing 9-4 season, head coach Paul Chryst decided it was time to shake things up on the coaching staff, specifically as it pertained to the offense.

UW averaged 25.4 and 25.1 points per game in the last two seasons. The last time Wisconsin went consecutive seasons averaging fewer than 26 points per game came back in 1991. It was time for an influx of new ideas.

Since then, Coach Chryst has hired three new assistant coaches and moved several other coaches into new roles.

The most significant shakeup in the coaching staff came when former offensive coordinator and current Badgers’ offensive line coach Joe Rudolph departed for a similar position with Virginia Tech – a clean slate for both sides.

Coach Chryst quickly identified Baltimore Ravens tight ends coach Bobby Engram as the program’s next offensive coordinator, and signed him to a two-year deal. He will look to reinvigorate a Wisconsin Badgers’ offense that has become stale in recent years.

Here is a look at Wisconsin’s revamped coaching staff for the 2022 season: