Beaty announces staff changes
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas football head coach David Beaty announced Friday the promotion of Justin Johnson to an on-field assistant coaching position, where he will work on the offensive side of the ball. Johnson, who joined the KU staff in the spring of 2016, spent the past two seasons as an offensive analyst for the Jayhawks and will fill the newly created 10th assistant coaching position.
“Justin is known around our building as ‘Juice’—because energy is something he definitely brings to the table,” said Beaty. “He is well-versed in not only how we want to run our program, but also the nuances to how we want to run our offense. He has worked hard during his time at KU to establish himself as a mentor with our players and that will help him greatly as he moves into his new role.
“Juice has a knack for building relationships,” added Beaty. “Because of his skill in that area, he will also play a vital role for us in recruiting in his elevated position.”
Additionally, Beaty announced that special teams coordinator Joe DeForest and offensive line coach Zach Yenser will no longer be members of the Jayhawk staff moving forward.
“We have mutually agreed to part ways as Joe and Zach will step away from our program and pursue other opportunities,” said Beaty. “I appreciate the hard work they both put in during their time with us and wish the best for them and their families moving forward.”
Johnson previously worked under Beaty at Texas A&M, serving as an offensive graduate assistant for the Aggies in 2013, while Beaty was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
A Houston alum, Johnson worked at his alma mater in 2012 in an offensive quality control position. In that role, he assisted all offensive coaches with administrative duties.
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 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.
Johnson graduated from Houston in December of 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology-sports administration. He and his wife, Aisha, reside in Lawrence.
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