Matt Johns (American football)
{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1993)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Matt Johns
| image =
| alt =
| caption = Brown with the Syracuse Orange in 2024
| current_title = Quarterbacks
| current_team = Utah State Aggies
| current_conference = MW
| current_record =
| contract =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|7|2}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 2012–2016
| player_team1 = Virginia
| player_positions = Quarterback
| coach_years1 = 2018
| coach_team1 = Virginia (GA)
| coach_years2 = 2019
| coach_team2 = William & Mary (TE)
| coach_years3 = 2020–2023
| coach_team3 = William & Mary (QB)
| coach_years4 = 2024
| coach_team4 = New Mexico (TE)
| coach_years5 = 2025–present
| coach_team5 = Utah State (QB)
}}
Matt Johns (born July 2, 1993) is an American college football coach and former player. He currently serves as the quarterbacks coach for the Utah State Aggies. He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers as a quarterback.
Playing career
Johns attended Central Bucks High School South in Warrington, Pennsylvania.{{Cite web |last=Kracz |first=Ed |title=QB battle goes way of Johns, CB South |url=https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/sports/high-school/2011/10/07/qb-battle-goes-way-johns/17098552007/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=PhillyBurbs |language=en-US}} After his high school career, he committed to the University of Virginia to play for the Virginia Cavaliers.{{Cite web |last=Funk |first=Joshua |date=2011-06-14 |title=Central Bucks South QB Matt Johns issues an oral declaration to Virginia |url=https://www.pennlive.com/westernpafootball/2011/06/central_bucks_south_qb_matt_jo.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=pennlive |language=en}}
Johns redshirted in 2012 before serving as the team's placekick holder in 2013.{{Cite web |date=2014-09-05 |title=Meet Matt Johns, Virginia's surprise QB contender |url=https://dailyprogress.com/cavalierinsider/meet-matt-johns-virginia-s-surprise-qb-contender/article_34a9d00c-3494-11e4-9f17-0017a43b2370.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=The Daily Progress |language=en}} In Virginia's 2014 season opener against UCLA, Johns replaced Greyson Lambert, with the Cavaliers trailing 21–3. In relief of Lambert, he threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns, as Virginia lost 28–20.{{Cite web |last=Giannotto |first=Mark |title=Virginia football switches QBs, then gives No. 7 UCLA a scare before losing, 28-20 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/virginia-football-switches-qbs-then-gives-no-7-ucla-a-scare-before-losing-28-20/2014/08/30/d29ba38a-3084-11e4-994d-202962a9150c_story.html |website=Washington Post}}{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Ed |last2=Online |first2=Pilot |date=2015-09-01 |title=Even before he became U.Va.’s QB1, Johns acted the part |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/2015/09/01/even-before-he-became-uvas-qb1-johns-acted-the-part/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=The Virginian-Pilot |language=en-US}} In his first career start against Kent State, Johns threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns in addition to two interceptions.{{Cite web |title=Johns leads Virginia past Kent State 45-13 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/09/27/johns-leads-virginia-past-kent-state-45-13/16359709/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}} He finished the 2014 season throwing for 1,109 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions.{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Tom |title=COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Central Bucks South grad Matt Johns starting at QB for Virginia |url=https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2015/08/10/college-football-central-bucks-south/18106452007/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=PhillyBurbs |language=en-US}} Entering the 2015 season, Johns was named the team's starting quarterback.{{Cite web |title=Coach: Competition ‘wasn’t close,’ named Johns QB starter |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/23/coach-competition-wasnt-close-named-johns-qb-start/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US}} In 2015, he started all 12 games, throwing for 2,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions.{{Cite web |last=Doughty |first=Doug |date=2016-08-05 |title=UVa quarterback Matt Johns wants nothing given to him |url=https://newsadvance.com/sports/college/cavaliers/uva-quarterback-matt-johns-wants-nothing-given-to-him/article_0ba033ca-f067-5cf1-96b5-a9897d8b7275.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=NewsAdvance.com |language=en}} Despite being the incumbent starting quarterback, Johns competed for the starting job prior to the 2016 season, with East Carolina transfer, Kurt Benkert, being named the starter.{{Cite web |title=QB Johns embraces changes at Virginia even with job in limbo |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=17084711 |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=ESPN.com}}{{Cite web |title=Transfer Kurt Benkert beats out incumbent Matt Johns as Virginia’s starting QB |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/transfer-kurt-benkert-beats-out-incumbent-matt-johns-as-virginias-starting-qb/2016/08/24/56b93a9a-6a1e-11e6-ba32-5a4bf5aad4fa_story.html |website=Washington Post}} He played primarily as a reserve behind Benkert in 2016, before being named the starter against Georgia Tech.{{Cite web |last=Kurz |first=Hank |title=Matt Johns to start at QB for Virginia against Georgia Tech |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/42211077/matt-johns-to-start-at-qb-for-virginia-against-georgia-tech |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=www.ksl.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-11-16 |title=Upbeat Johns retakes reins of UVa offense |url=https://godanriver.com/article_33cd0340-d1e7-548b-abfc-6a5b9aa4191f.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=The Danville Register and Bee |language=en}} Against Georgia Tech, he threw for 220 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing three interceptions.{{Cite web |date=2016-11-21 |title=Doubling down: Matt Johns to get start at QB for UVA at Virginia Tech |url=https://augustafreepress.com/news/doubling-matt-johns-get-start-qb-uva-virginia-tech/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=Augusta Free Press |language=en-US}} Johns started the final game of his collegiate career against Virginia Tech.{{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Ava |title=Matt Johns will end his up and down college career under center for Virginia |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/matt-johns-will-end-his-up-and-down-college-career-under-center-for-virginia/2016/11/25/0bf3aa5a-b324-11e6-8616-52b15787add0_story.html |website=Washington Post}}
Johns finished his career throwing for 4,233 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions.{{Cite web |title=Matt Johns Career Stats - NCAAF |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/stats/_/id/535548/matt-johns |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=ESPN |language=en}}
= Statistics =
| class="wikitable |
| Bold
| Career best |
| Italics
| Led FBS |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | |||||||||||||||
| College statistics | |||||||||||||||
| colspan="16" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Virginia Cavaliers|color=white}}"| Virginia Cavaliers | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="2"| Season
! colspan="3"| Games ! colspan="8"| Passing ! colspan="5"| Rushing | |||||||||||||||
| GP | GS | Record | Comp | Att | Pct | Yards | Avg | TD | Int | Rate | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | |
| 2012
| colspan="15"| Redshirt File:Redshirt.svg | |||||||||||||||
| 2013
| 12 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – | |||||||||||||||
| 2014
| 12 || 3 || 2–1|| 89 || 162 || 54.9 || 1,109 || 6.8 || 8 || 5 || 122.6 || 22 || 107|| 4.9|| 1 | |||||||||||||||
| 2015
| 12|| 12|| 4–8 || 247|| 403|| 61.3|| 2,810|| 7.0|| 20|| 17|| 127.8 || 61|| 86|| 1.4 || 1 | |||||||||||||||
| 2016
| 12 || 2 || 0–2 || 36 || 63 || 57.1 || 314 || 5.0 || 2|| 5|| 93.6 || 6 || -8 || -1.3 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| [https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/matt-johns-1.html Career] | 48 | 17 | 6−11 | 372 | 628 | 59.2 | 4,233 | 6.7 | 30 | 27 | 123.0 | 89 | 185 | 2.1 | 2 |
Coaching career
After spending a season at his alma mater as a graduate assistant, Johns joined William & Mary as a tight ends coach.{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Dave |date=2019-02-13 |title=Matt Johns comes “full circle” in joining Mike London at W&M |url=https://www.dailypress.com/2019/02/13/matt-johns-comes-full-circle-in-joining-mike-london-at-wm/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=Daily Press |language=en-US}} After one season as the tight ends coach, he was promoted to the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the Tribe, positions he served until 2023. In December 2023, Johns joined Bronco Mendenhall's staff at New Mexico as the tight ends coach.{{Cite web |last=Samuels |first=Doug |date=2023-12-19 |title=Sources confirm Bronco Mendenhall adding FCS coordinator to New Mexico staff |url=https://footballscoop.com/news/sources-confirm-bronco-mendenhall-adding-fcs-coordinator-to-new-mexico-staff |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=Footballscoop |language=en}}
Johns joined Bronco Mendenhall's staff as a quarterbacks coach for the Utah State Aggies.{{cite web|url=https://utahstateaggies.com/news/2025/1/15/utah-states-bronco-mendenhall-announces-football-coaching-and-support-staff.aspx|title=Utah State’s Bronco Mendenhall Announces Football Coaching and Support Staff|publisher=Utah State Aggies |access-date=January 19, 2025|date=January 15, 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://virginiasports.com/player/matt-johns/ Virginia Cavaliers bio]
- [https://tribeathletics.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/matt-johns/1946 William & Mary Tribe bio]
- [https://golobos.com/coach/matt-johns/ New Mexico Lobos bio]
- [https://utahstateaggies.com/staff-directory/matt-johns/697 Utah State Aggies bio]
{{Virginia Cavaliers quarterback navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johns, Matt}}
Category:American football quarterbacks
Category:Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania
Category:New Mexico Lobos football coaches
Category:Utah State Aggies football coaches