| Mike Johnson |
| Email: mjohnso@ju.edu | Tel: (904) 256-7420 |
- 2010-11 - Head Coach
Since returning to the men’s program in 2004, Johnson has guided the Dolphins to its best run of sustained success in more than a decade. JU advanced to the semifinals of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament in 2010 and will look to go even further in the new campaign thanks to a veteran squad that returns eight starters.
For the past 13 years, Johnson has been a fixture with JU soccer. He also coached the JU women’s team for six seasons from 1998-2003, where he went 75-41-4. Combined with his men’s totals, Johnson will take a career Division I coaching record of 139-112-18 (.554 winning percentage) into the 2011 campaign.
John has the distinction of being named the A-Sun’s “Coach of the Year” twice, earning the honor in guiding the women’s team to a 19-3-0 record in 2000 and leading the men’s team to a league title in 2007.
Johnson, who first coached the men’s team in 2000 season, has been instrumental in making JU a contender in the A-Sun in his second stint with numerous accomplishments. Under his tutelage, JU:
- Has finished among the top-three scoring teams in the conference over the last six years, taking the top spot in 2005 and 2006 and tying Stetson in 2010.
- Tallied 24 all-conference honors, 12 all-freshman accolades and consecutive A-Sun “Player of the Year” awards (2006, 2007).
- Had at least one player named to the adidas/NSCAA all-region team in five of the last seven seasons.
- Won a conference title during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2008.
- Currently has six players playing professionally around the globe.
2008 - A Cinderella Run
IIn 2008, the Dolphins posted double-digit wins for the second consecutive year with a 12-9-1 overall record and posted a 7-2 record in A-Sun play. JU started to come into its own at the A-Sun Tournament by tying Lipscomb in the final minute of the semifinals and advancing past the Bisons in penalty kicks to reach the final game for the second year in a row. In the championship final, No. 1 Campbell grabbed a 3-1 halftime, but JU rallied with three unanswered second-half goals to earn a 4-3 win and claim the Dolphins’ first berth into the NCAA Tournament since 1999.
In the NCAA Tournament, the Dolphins continued their comeback magic as JU tied Louisville at three all when Stefan Runeman scored in the final minutes to force overtime. Nedim Hrustic scored the game-winning goal less than a minute into overtime to send the Dolphins into the second round. JU’s run ended in the second round as the Dolphins fell in a close match to eventual national runner up North Carolina, 1-0. The Dolphins ended the 2008 season receiving votes in the College Soccer News national poll.
In the postseason honors, the Dolphins set a new school mark when they had seven players selected to the A-Sun all-conference teams. Senior midfielder Ramak Niakan Safi and Runeman were each named first team all-conference to pace the Dolphins. Niakan Safi led the squad in scoring with 10 goals, six game-winning goals and 22 points. He also scored two goals in the A-Sun Championship, including the game-winner, to earn tournament honors. Runeman finished third on the team with five goals. Following the NCAA Tournament, the duo also earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America(NSCAA)/adidas All-South Regions third team accolades.
Senior defender Philipp Meyner, junior defender Eddie Munnelly, junior goalie Joey Sanchez, sophomore forward Tony Taylor and freshman Nurdin Hrustic were each named second team all-conference, which set a A-Sun record for the most players from one school. Kristian Lassen and Hrustic each received all-freshman accolades to round out the conference honors.
Former men’s soccer player Anton Axelsson continued to represent the Dolphins well as he became the first male athlete to be named A-Sun “Student-Athlete of the Year.”
The players were not the only ones who got recognized as Johnson received the JU Institutional Excellence Award for his service to the University.
During the spring season, Taylor and Niakan Safi found ways to bring the Dolphins’ soccer program to the national level. Taylor successful earned a spot of the USA U 20 men’s soccer national team and scored a goal in the team’s win at the CONCACAF U 20 Championship which secured a spot into the U 20 World Cup in Egypt. Niakan Safi earned two different tryouts with Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution. The Dolphins as a team also added a highlight to their year when they opened the spring campaign against the Colorado Rapids of the MLS.
2007 - A Championship Season
In 2007, the Dolphins claimed their first A-Sun regular season championship after posting a 7-2 conference mark and finishing 11-7-2 overall (the fourth-highest win total in school history). Johnson, the 2007 A-Sun “Coach of the Year” led JU to its first A-Sun finals since 2001, while Axelsson posted a conference-best 16 goals and 36 points to be named A-Sun “Player of the Year” honors as well as being named the Academic All-America “Player of the Year” by ESPN the Magazine.
Axelsson was also named to the All-South Region by the NSCAA. Defender Brian Cocciolo also joined Axelsson on the A-Sun first team all-conference squad, while Runeman and goalkeeper Matt Gilman earned second team honors.
2004 -06 - The Building of a Powerhouse
IIn 2006, JU reached its first A-Sun semifinal berth since the 2002 season after downing Belmont in the first round of the conference tournament. The Dolphins finished the season with a 7-11-2 record and took home their third consecutive Dennis Violett Memorial Cup over cross-town rival North Florida on Sept. 24. Tommy Krizanovic paced the Dolphins with 14 goals and 33 points en route to earning A-Sun "Player of Year" accolades. He also finished the season leading the nation in goals per game (1.08) and points per game (2.46) to receive his third consecutive first team all-conference and NSCAA/adidas All-South region honors.
After his stellar career, Krizanovic became the first JU and A-Sun player to be drafted by Major League Soccer after being selected in the fourth round of the league's 2007 SuperDraft by FC Dallas.
Not to be out done, Axlesson was named second team all-conference for the second straight year after posting eight goals and a team-high five assists. Sophomore Patrik Werner also earned second team all-conference honors for JU, while Runeman and Munnelly were each named to the A-Sun all-freshman team.
In 2005, the Dolphins led in the Atlantic Sun Conference in every offensive category en route to a 7-10-2 record and a berth in the A-Sun Tournament. Krizanovic led the team and was second in the conference with a career-high 17 goals to earn first team all-conference and NSCAA/adidas third-team accolades. Axelsson earned second team all-conference honors by leading the team with seven assists, while Werner also secured second team all-conference accolades.
In his first season returning as the men's soccer head coach, Johnson led the Dolphins to an 8-8-1 record in 2004 as the Dolphins narrowly missed the A-Sun Tournament. Johnson saw sophomore forward Krizanovic and freshman defender John Marquart earn all-conference honors. Krizanovic earned 2004 first team and NSCAA/adidas third-team accolades, while Marquart earned all-freshman team honors.
1998 -2002 - Leading the JU women
No stranger to winning, Johnson led the Dolphin women's program to a 75-41-4 record in six seasons, including four appearances in the A-Sun Championship game. He posted a 37-13-3 mark in conference play and led the Dolphins to the 2000 A-Sun regular season and tournament championship.
In 2000, JU rewrote the record book during their school-best 19-3-0 campaign, including a perfect 9-0-0 mark in A-Sun play. The Dolphins set school records for wins in a season (19), consecutive wins (16), shutouts (11), goals in a game (10) and assists in a game (10). The 2000 Dolphins also set the conference record for wins in a season and became the first team in league history, since merging the East and West Divisions, to go through the conference schedule with a perfect record (9-0-0). After leading JU to the 2000 NCAA College Cup, Johnson was tabbed A-Sun "Coach of the Year."
Johnson also served as the head coach of the men's program during the 2000 season, leading the Dolphins to a 5-6-4 mark and a third place finish in the A-Sun during a rebuilding campaign.
In his final two seasons as the women’s coach, Johnson coached four different first team all-conference selections and appeared in the A-Sun Championship match in 2002. While under Johnson’s tutelage , Vanessa Illanes scored 12 goals and a league-best 13 assists during the 2002 season en route to earning A-Sun “Player of the Year,” Soccer Buzz first team all-Southeast Region and NSCAA first team regional All-America accolades.
Don’t forget he was a player
Johnson's soccer career at JU began in 1981. A three-year letterman, he played forward as a sophomore before being moved to defender as a junior and senior. He tallied four goals and four assists during his career and was voted team cap tain as a senior. He was a member of the Florida Intercollegiate All-State Team ¬¬¬and earned the Bill Coulthart Award as the team MVP as a junior and senior. He also received all-Sun Belt Conference honors his final two collegiate seasons. Johnson went on to play professionally for the Tulsa Tornado (1985) of the USL and the Jacksonville Fury (1993-94) of the USISL following his collegiate playing career.
Personal background
A Jacksonville native and a graduate of Forrest High School, Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from JU in 1985. Johnson and his wife Paula have three children: Tyler, Kyle and Kailee. Tyler played for the JU football team from 2005-09, while Kyle played on the Dolphins soccer during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. His daughter, Kailee, is currently enrolled at JU.