Johnson To Participate In Inaugural Afca 30 Under 30 Coaches’ Leadership Institute
December 15, 2015 | Football
WACO, Texas – The American Football Coaches Foundation and NCAA Leadership Development have partnered for a prestigious program aimed at training premier, future leaders in the football coaching profession. Mississippi State assistant coach Brian Johnson was one of 30 coaches selected to participate in the inaugural AFCA 30 Under 30 Coaches' Leadership Institute.
In his second season as the quarterbacks coach at MSU, Johnson has helped develop Dak Prescott into the most prolific quarterback in school history. In 2014, Prescott became the first player ever at MSU to be named a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award presented to college football's top signal caller. Over the last two seasons, Prescott has shattered 15 MSU individual single-season records and seven MSU single-game records under the guidance of Johnson.
The 28-year-old Johnson was the lone Southeastern Conference coach selected to the program and is one of just five coaches from a Power Five program.
Participants will meet at the 2016 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas, for a full day of focused, interactive lectures on topics including ethics, leadership, NCAA rules, financial management, hiring and player safety.
Almost 200 coaches applied for the program. Applicants were required to meet a strict criterion. Eligibility was extended to high school (head coaches only), two-year college and four-year college coaches. Prospective participants were required to be a head coach or full-time assistant during the 2015 season. The application process included submission of a resume, personal statements responding to specific prompts and a letter of recommendation from a head coach or athletic director.
The 30 participants who were selected are an average age of 27 and included in their ranks are nine FBS coaches, four FCS coaches, two NCAA Division II coaches, five NCAA Division III coaches, three junior college coaches, three NAIA coaches and four high school coaches.
Johnson, Prescott and the rest of the Bulldogs will close out the 2015 season in the Belk Bowl against NC State on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
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