Track Adds Russ Johnson To Staff

ATHENS, Ga. --- Georgia track and field has hired 1998 Southeastern Conference indoor pole vault champion and the USA Track & Field Pole Vault High Performance and Development Committee's 2015 National Collegiate Coach of the Year Russ Johnson, according to an announcement from head coach Petros Kyprianou.

Johnson, a native of Carrollton, Ga., returns to his home state with a wealth of experiences both as a pole vault coach and athlete in the sport. He spent 12 seasons mentoring the University of Tennessee pole vaulters as a volunteer assistant where his student-athletes were perennial SEC champions and All-Americans. From 2005 to 2017, Johnson tutored 24 NCAA finalists and 12 SEC champions, at one point coaching eight consecutive SEC men's champions.

"We are excited to welcome Russ, Lesly, Lily and Levi to our Bulldog family," said Kyprianou, whose teams are coming off NCAA team titles both indoors and outdoors. "Russ has a unique skill set that is desired here at Georgia and I am eager to get him to work with our current and future student-athletes! He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in many areas and pole vault is one of the events that Georgia was known for a while back. He has the drive, ambition and willingness to work hard to help us accomplish our NCAA and SEC team goals. Here at Georgia, we try to hire coaches with drive and ambition to be the best and to possess the skill to make our student-athletes better. We want them to follow our mission statement and philosophy and to understand that trust and respect equals loyalty. Russ brings that aspect and is highly recommended by NCAA winning coaches such as Bill Webb. Go Dawgs!"

Johnson's student-athletes have shown remarkably consistent improvement over the years, with an average height improvement of a foot and a half. He has qualified two or more vaulters to the NCAA Championships on five occasions. A majority of Johnson's athletes have set their personal bests at the SEC or NCAA championships, peaking during the all-important postseason. On two occasions, his student-athletes have been named the SEC Freshman Field Athlete of the Year (2008, 2013).

Johnson coached Jake Blankenship to the 2016 NCAA outdoor title as well as to the 2015 and 2016 SEC outdoor championships. Blankenship, who was on The Bowerman Watch List for being collegiate track and field's elite performer, soared over the 19-foot barrier indoor and outdoor, placing him on the top-10 all-time NCAA lists. Blankenship won the bronze medal at the Pan Am Games and qualified for Team USA at the 2015 IAAF Outdoor World Championships in Beijing, China.

"I am extremely honored and excited to join Petros and his outstanding staff at the University of Georgia," Johnson said. "Under his vision and direction, Georgia has quickly become the top track and field program in the country, and a top destination for student-athletes from around the world. I am thankful to Petros and the UGA Athletic Association for this opportunity to fully pursue my passion, and to join such an outstanding group of coaches, staff, and athletes. Having grown up as a Georgia Bulldog, it will be extra special to me to don the red and black again, and to be a part of building a world-class pole vault program. The culture of hard work and winning around this team is palpable, and I look forward to doing everything I can to further contribute to their success."

Johnson, who vaulted 18 feet, 6 ½ inches at Tennessee, was the 1998 SEC champion. He was also a First Team All-American on three occasions and competed at the USATF Championships. Johnson was a CoSIDA Academic All-American and Boyd McWhorter finalist while graduating at the top of his class in Kinesiology. He spent several years after college training with Olympians Tim Mack, Tom Pappas and Lawrence Johnson under the watchful eye of his pole vault mentor Jim Bemiller.

Johnson earned a bachelor's and master's degree from Tennessee in Sports Medicine, then another master's in Physical Therapy from the Medical College of Georgia. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a Certified Athletic Trainer. Johnson has served as Site Manager and as a physical therapist for more than 13 years at Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic.

Johnson is married to Lesly Johnson and they have two children, Lily and Levi. His wife was also a student-athlete for the Vols, earning All-American status as a sprinter and competing in the pole vault.

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