By Cole Mantell (@LightningDragon)
Every offseason, we get a few new guys to join the exclusive club of the 24 Athletic Directors in the CFSL. I try to interview all of the new guys, and for Season 23 we have two new ADs to introduce to the CFSL. Both guys were known as well-regarded coaches, and now both are going to have a full-time shot as the guy in charge. So to start this series this season, who the heck is Noah Johnson?
Noah Johnson is probably best known as a coach as the interim AD last season in Lexington leading the Kentucky Wildcats. However, despite the poor season there, he has a long, much more successful season of coaching before that. Johnson got his start in the Cincinnati staff under current Virginia Tech AD Cory Mucci. While Cory Mucci’s rise at VT to turn it into a powerhouse is a well-known story, Johnson was one of the guys helping build that culture, as far back as when he was coaching in Cincinnati with Mucci and even into the first season of this expansion experiment in Blacksburg, Virginia.
It’s no surprise, then, when asked which locker room Johnson wants to emulate most with Nebraska, he chose Virginia Tech. The Hokies are a big presence in the league, and Season 22 might be their high point in terms of that recognition. The Fan of the Year of course was Nate Skinner of Virginia Tech, and the Hokies took home Team Spirit as well. Both are some of the biggest awards you can win in this league, and it is no surprise the guy formally on those teams wants to bring that energy and culture to Lincoln.
Of course, that is no easy task for any team. For Nebraska, the task might be even tougher. All time, Nebraska has a 27-50 record in the CFSL in previous iterations. Among teams with at least 30 games played in the CFSL, that is good for the 6th worst winning percentage all time for a team. Among teams below Nebraska in that ranking, only West Virginia and Tennessee are active right now in the CFSL. That’s not to say Nebraska didn’t have stars and didn’t win games before. They were one of my favorite teams to call in my early days as a broadcaster during the Steroid Era. But needless to say, this team represents a history that needs revival, and Noah Johnson thinks he is up to the task.
Outside of the league, Johnson is a North Carolina native from a family of five children. He’s a big college football fan, cheering for North Carolina as both a child and an adult. He joined the Navy, making him one of the few active duty service members both in the CFSL and also one of the few in the service to be an Athletic Director. He’s bounced around the country, both growing up and now in the CFSL coaching cycle. He is hoping to bring Nebraska back to the days of Tom Osbourne, which he signaled in our interview as a model for Nebraska success he wants to emulate. It’s a tall order, but Johnson may just be the guy up to that big challenge.
