Shippensburg University Athletics

Anthony Johnson is in his third season as a full-time assistant coach for the Shippensburg University football team in 2021. Johnson is the running backs coach, the tight ends coach, and the recruiting coordinator in addition to the running game coordinator – a role added for the 2021 season.
 
In his first season at Shippensburg in 2019, Johnson mentored a group of running backs that included All- Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Second Team performer Luke Durkin, who finished the season ranked sixth in the PSAC in rushing yards (918) and rushing touchdowns (10) despite not having a carry in the first three weeks of the season. It was the most single-season rushing yards by an SU player in five seasons.
 
Among the tight ends, Johnson coached redshirt-sophomore D2CCA All-American David Balint III, who set single-season school records for receptions by a tight end (64) and receiving yards by a tight end (755). Balint III became the first SU tight end in more than 40 years to finish a season as the team’s leader in receptions and ranked fifth in the PSAC for the statistic.
 
Johnson arrived at Shippensburg after serving as the offensive coordinator and director of football operations at his alma mater, Salisbury University. Over the course of three stints with the Seagulls, Johnson spent six seasons coaching at Salisbury – including his final two seasons in the aforementioned capacities.
 
In 2018, Johnson was a finalist for Footballscoop.com’s Division III Coordinator of the Year award. He helped direct Salisbury to the top rushing offense in NCAA Division III, totaling 4,132 yards (348.5 rushing yards per game) and 175 first downs on the ground. During his tenure as the offensive coordinator, the Seagulls totaled 300 or more rushing yards in 10 games, including 654 rushing yards in a game at Albright.
 
In his first year back at Salisbury in 2017, Johnson’s running backs aided the eighth-best rushing offense in the nation (283.7 rushing yards per game) and totaled 37 rushing touchdowns.
 
With the Seagulls, Johnson served as the primary recruiter for multiple counties in Maryland, including Baltimore, Charles and St. Mary’s. He also recruited Monmouth and Ocean Counties in New Jersey.
 
Prior to returning to Salisbury, Johnson served as an assistant coach at Division I Central Connecticut State University in 2016, where he coached the running backs and kick returners.
 
The 2015 season saw Johnson at Salisbury for one season as the team’s running backs coach in their first season in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), a conference-championship season in which they ranked second in the nation in rushing offense. 
 
Johnson is familiar with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), having spent five years at Cheyney University. He was the head coach of the Wolves in 2014 after serving as an offensive coordinator the previous four seasons.
 
Under Coach Johnson’s leadership as the head coach, Cheyney had four All-PSAC performers and 40 players record over a 3.0 grade-point average (GPA). For three consecutive years with Johnson on staff, a Cheyney player was named a recipient of the Scholar-Athlete Award by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and by the Philadelphia chapter of the College Hall of Fame.
 
As Cheyney’s offensive coordinator, Johnson played a significant role in the Wolves snapping a long conference-losing streak with a road victory at Millersville. That same season, Cheyney scored 34 points against West Chester – the second-most points ever scored by the Wolves against the Golden Rams.
 
Johnson’s first coaching stint at Salisbury was as a graduate assistant. He was responsible for the running backs and slot backs on a 2008 team that once again led the nation in rushing. Four Salisbury running backs earned All-Conference honors that season, and the Seagulls participated in the ECAC Southwest Championship Game.
 
As a college athlete, Johnson was an All-Atlantic Central Football Conference (ACFC) performer and Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2006. He won two ACFC championships and played in two NCAA Tournaments with the Seagulls.
 
Johnson earned a bachelor of science in Interdisciplinary Studies specializing in Physical Education with a minor in Athletic Coaching from Salisbury in 2006. He earned his master’s degree in post-secondary education from Salisbury in 2010.