Brian Johnson, an Olympian and four-time NCAA Division I national champion in the long jump, is entering his fourth year as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at the University of New Orleans, after joining the Privateer program in the Fall of 2018.

Over his first three years with New Orleans, Johnson has guided both his men’s and women’s cross country and men’s and women’s track & field programs to record-setting performances at the Southland Conference Championships. All six teams have set the lowest team point total since joining the conference at their respective championship meet.

Johnson has taken over a program that didn’t field an entire men’s or women’s team in cross or track and turned the Privateers is a growing and competitive program in the Southland.

In 2021, he also coached his first student-athlete to the NCAA DI National Championships as Ismael Kone represented New Orleans in Eugene, Ore. at outdoor nationals where he finished 21st in the men’s 100-meter dash. Kone was the first student-athlete to advance to the outdoor national championships since 2017.

In total, the Privateers claimed three Southland titles, nine silver and four bronze medals across the indoor and outdoor conference championships in 2021. New Orleans also sent a school-record four student-athletes to the NCAA DI East Preliminary Round.

Johnson has also helped in the mentoring of Arina Kleshchukova, who was the first athlete in school history to advance to the NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships in 2019.

Kleshchukova won four of her first five races in 2019, including winning the Southland title to advance to the South Central Regionals. There she placed tenth overall to earn All-Region honors and a chance to advance to NCAAs. Kleshchukova earned numerous awards including Southland Women's Runner of the Year and Louisiana Runner of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

During the 2020 indoor track season, Kleshchukova followed up her strong performance from the Fall into a conference championship in the 5000. She also finished fifth in the 3000 and anchored the DMR squad to a seventh-place showing. In total was responsible for 16 points.

Both his men’s and women’s cross country and women’s cross country program have also been honored numerous times as U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic teams.

The Iowa, La. native arrived on the Lakefront from Alcorn State where he served in the same capacity at the Lorman, Mississippi institution for nearly three years. 

A graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, Johnson was a member of the 2008 United States Olympic Track & Field team that competed in Beijing, China. 

As a student-athlete, Johnson became only the third Southern athlete to win an indoor NCAA Division I national title when he captured the long jump crown in 2003 with a best leap of 8.28m (27-2). After overcoming an injury that ended his collegiate career prematurely, Johnson went on to finish fourth in his return at the U.S. Indoor Championships in 2004 and he captured gold with a first-place finish the following year at the 2005 Indoor Championships. 

Johnson also won U.S. titles with his victories at both the 2006 Indoor and Outdoor Championships with jumps of 7.95m (26-1) and 8.10m (26-7), respectively. 

From 2004 to 2010, Johnson served as an assistant track & field coach at his alma mater, Southern, while competing as one of the world’s best long jumpers.

In 2008, he finished second at the Olympic Trails in Eugene, Oregon, which qualified him for the national team. He went on to finish 22nd overall.

Also during that time, Johnson posted a personal best of 8.33m with his second-place performance at the Fort-de-France international meet and he also won a silver medal at the IAAF World Athletics Final. 

Johnson has been in the coaching ranks since 2003 and stopped competition following the 2010 season. He was ranked as high as No. 2 in the United States in the long jump by Track & Field News following his 2008 campaign and ended as the No. 3 ranked athlete in the event in 2010. Johnson was ranked in the top-10 in the world in his event every year between 2005-10. 

Johnson has had coaching stops at Southern, Alcorn State and the University of Georgia.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Studies from Southern in 2003.

THE JOHNSON FILES - NEW ORLEANS T&F/XC