University of Houston Athletics
Justin Johnson Named Running Backs Coach
3/11/2019 3:06:00 PM | Football
Former Cougar named running backs coach as UH also adds two support staffers
HOUSTON – Houston Football alum Justin Johnson has been named the program's running backs coach Head Coach Dana Holgorsen announced Monday.
In addition to Johnson's hiring, the Houston Football program also added Mark Scott as special teams analyst and Ryan Kahn as a defensive recruiting coordinator while Joe Alcoser has taken on the role of Director of Football Operations, Alex Brown has taken on Coordinator of Recruiting and Chris Scott has switched from defensive recruiting coordinator to offensive recruiting coordinator.
Justin Johnson | Running Backs Coach
• A Houston alum Justin Johnson was named Running Backs coach at his alma mater on March 11, 2019 after three seasons at Kansas, his final season as a receivers coach.
• Johnson arrived in Lawrence, Kan. in the spring of 2016, serving as an offensive analyst in his first two seasons with the Jayhawks.
• Johnson served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M in 2013, helping the Aggies to a 9-4 record including a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Duke.
• Johnson's coaching career began at his alma mater in 2012, serving as an offensive quality control assistant for the Cougars.
• Johnson was a four-year letterwinner at UH from 2008 to 2011. As a senior, he helped lead the Cougars to a record-setting 13-1 overall mark and a dominating win against No. 23 Penn State during the TicketCity Bowl.
• The Richardson, Texas, native finished second on the team with 1,229 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 87 receptions on the way to earning All-Conference USA First-Team accolades.
• Johnson was a versatile student-athlete during his collegiate playing days with the Cougars, competing on special teams and as a running back, wide receiver and tight end at various times. During his career, he competed in three bowl games and two Conference USA Championship games.
• Off the field, Johnson was a member of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and was selected to participate in and graduated from UH's Athletics Leadership Academy. He was awarded the UH Committed Cougar Award twice.
Mark Scott | Special Teams Analyst
• Mark Scott was named Special Teams Analyst at Houston in March of 2019 after seven seasons at West Virginia, his final two seasons working with the Mountaineers' linebackers and special teams units.
• In Scott's six seasons at West Virginia, two players under his leadership earned All-America honors in David Long (2017 & 2018) and Isaiah Bruce (2013) while five earned All-Conference honors in Long (2017), Al-Rasheed Benton (2017), Marcus Simms (2017), Daryl Worley (2015) and Will Clarke (2013).
• In 2018, Long was named the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-America honors for a second straight season after leading the Big 12 with 19 tackles for loss.
• The 2017 defense ranked No. 16 nationally in most defensive three-and-outs per game and No. 24 in best third-down defense. Long was named All-American Second Team by ProFootballFocus and was an All-Big 12 Conference First Team honoree by ESPN.com. He finished with 16.5 tackles for loss, ranking No. 4 on WVU's single-season tackle for loss list.
• Benton averaged six solo tackles per game, ranking No. 10 nationally and 8.5 total tackles per game, ranking No. 50 nationally. He also had 13.5 tackles for loss, ranking No. 17 on the WVU's single-season tackle for loss list.
• The special teams finished No. 16 in kickoff returns, spearheaded by Simms, who was No. 13 nationally in kickoff returns, No. 27 in all-purpose yards and No. 36 in punt returns.
• In 2016, the defense ranked No. 24 nationally in fumbles recovered (11) and turnovers gained (25) and No. 35 in pass interceptions (14) and scoring defense (24.0). In Big 12 games, WVU's defense was No. 1 in scoring defense, total defense and fewest opponent first downs, No. 2 in rushing defense land No. 3 in third-down defense.
• In 2015, the defense ranked No. 2 nationally in interceptions, No. 5 in turnovers per game, No. 8 in most opponent three downs-and-outs, No. 11 in opponent third-down defense and No. 15 in turnover margin. The special teams ranked No. 11 in kickoff returns and No. 22 in net punting and punt return defense.
• Worley earned All-Big 12 First Team honors and was drafted in the third-round of the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
• In 2012-14, Scott was the on-field graduate assistant coach working with the defense for two-and-a-half years, working with the outside linebackers, the defensive line and the cornerbacks.
• Scott spent a year as an assistant coach at Trine University (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association), an NCAA Division III school in Angola, Indiana. While at Trine, he was the special teams coordinator and outside linebacker coach for the 2011 season, helping the team to a 7-3 record.
• He also spent three years (2008-10) as a quality control defensive assistant coach at the University of Indianapolis, a school which competes at the NCAA Division II level. He also worked with special teams prior to the 2008 season.
• At Indy, Scott worked with the outside linebackers for two seasons and the defensive secondary for the 2010 season. His defense was No. 1 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while finishing No. 10 nationally in passing defense and No. 16 in total defense in 2009 and No. 12 in passing defense in 2010.
• Scott began his coaching career as a student assistant during his final semester at Hillsdale College, assisting with the linebackers during the 2007 season.
• During his collegiate playing career, Scott was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at outside linebacker at Hillsdale. He amassed more than 200 career tackles and was named All-GLIAC Honorable Mention in 2006.
Ryan Kahn | Recruiting Coordinator – Defense
• Ryan Kahn was named Recruiting Coordinator for the Defense at Houston in March of 2019 after one season at Northwestern as a football scouting assistant.
• Prior to Northwestern, the Alabama graduate spent the 2017 season as a football personnel/recruiting analyst for the Crimson Tide after one year as football recruiting specialist for the program.
In addition to Johnson's hiring, the Houston Football program also added Mark Scott as special teams analyst and Ryan Kahn as a defensive recruiting coordinator while Joe Alcoser has taken on the role of Director of Football Operations, Alex Brown has taken on Coordinator of Recruiting and Chris Scott has switched from defensive recruiting coordinator to offensive recruiting coordinator.
Justin Johnson | Running Backs Coach
• A Houston alum Justin Johnson was named Running Backs coach at his alma mater on March 11, 2019 after three seasons at Kansas, his final season as a receivers coach.
• Johnson arrived in Lawrence, Kan. in the spring of 2016, serving as an offensive analyst in his first two seasons with the Jayhawks.
• Johnson served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M in 2013, helping the Aggies to a 9-4 record including a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Duke.
• Johnson's coaching career began at his alma mater in 2012, serving as an offensive quality control assistant for the Cougars.
• Johnson was a four-year letterwinner at UH from 2008 to 2011. As a senior, he helped lead the Cougars to a record-setting 13-1 overall mark and a dominating win against No. 23 Penn State during the TicketCity Bowl.
• The Richardson, Texas, native finished second on the team with 1,229 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 87 receptions on the way to earning All-Conference USA First-Team accolades.
• Johnson was a versatile student-athlete during his collegiate playing days with the Cougars, competing on special teams and as a running back, wide receiver and tight end at various times. During his career, he competed in three bowl games and two Conference USA Championship games.
• Off the field, Johnson was a member of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and was selected to participate in and graduated from UH's Athletics Leadership Academy. He was awarded the UH Committed Cougar Award twice.
Mark Scott | Special Teams Analyst
• Mark Scott was named Special Teams Analyst at Houston in March of 2019 after seven seasons at West Virginia, his final two seasons working with the Mountaineers' linebackers and special teams units.
• In Scott's six seasons at West Virginia, two players under his leadership earned All-America honors in David Long (2017 & 2018) and Isaiah Bruce (2013) while five earned All-Conference honors in Long (2017), Al-Rasheed Benton (2017), Marcus Simms (2017), Daryl Worley (2015) and Will Clarke (2013).
• In 2018, Long was named the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-America honors for a second straight season after leading the Big 12 with 19 tackles for loss.
• The 2017 defense ranked No. 16 nationally in most defensive three-and-outs per game and No. 24 in best third-down defense. Long was named All-American Second Team by ProFootballFocus and was an All-Big 12 Conference First Team honoree by ESPN.com. He finished with 16.5 tackles for loss, ranking No. 4 on WVU's single-season tackle for loss list.
• Benton averaged six solo tackles per game, ranking No. 10 nationally and 8.5 total tackles per game, ranking No. 50 nationally. He also had 13.5 tackles for loss, ranking No. 17 on the WVU's single-season tackle for loss list.
• The special teams finished No. 16 in kickoff returns, spearheaded by Simms, who was No. 13 nationally in kickoff returns, No. 27 in all-purpose yards and No. 36 in punt returns.
• In 2016, the defense ranked No. 24 nationally in fumbles recovered (11) and turnovers gained (25) and No. 35 in pass interceptions (14) and scoring defense (24.0). In Big 12 games, WVU's defense was No. 1 in scoring defense, total defense and fewest opponent first downs, No. 2 in rushing defense land No. 3 in third-down defense.
• In 2015, the defense ranked No. 2 nationally in interceptions, No. 5 in turnovers per game, No. 8 in most opponent three downs-and-outs, No. 11 in opponent third-down defense and No. 15 in turnover margin. The special teams ranked No. 11 in kickoff returns and No. 22 in net punting and punt return defense.
• Worley earned All-Big 12 First Team honors and was drafted in the third-round of the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
• In 2012-14, Scott was the on-field graduate assistant coach working with the defense for two-and-a-half years, working with the outside linebackers, the defensive line and the cornerbacks.
• Scott spent a year as an assistant coach at Trine University (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association), an NCAA Division III school in Angola, Indiana. While at Trine, he was the special teams coordinator and outside linebacker coach for the 2011 season, helping the team to a 7-3 record.
• He also spent three years (2008-10) as a quality control defensive assistant coach at the University of Indianapolis, a school which competes at the NCAA Division II level. He also worked with special teams prior to the 2008 season.
• At Indy, Scott worked with the outside linebackers for two seasons and the defensive secondary for the 2010 season. His defense was No. 1 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while finishing No. 10 nationally in passing defense and No. 16 in total defense in 2009 and No. 12 in passing defense in 2010.
• Scott began his coaching career as a student assistant during his final semester at Hillsdale College, assisting with the linebackers during the 2007 season.
• During his collegiate playing career, Scott was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at outside linebacker at Hillsdale. He amassed more than 200 career tackles and was named All-GLIAC Honorable Mention in 2006.
Ryan Kahn | Recruiting Coordinator – Defense
• Ryan Kahn was named Recruiting Coordinator for the Defense at Houston in March of 2019 after one season at Northwestern as a football scouting assistant.
• Prior to Northwestern, the Alabama graduate spent the 2017 season as a football personnel/recruiting analyst for the Crimson Tide after one year as football recruiting specialist for the program.
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