Wolfpack Hires Johnson as Assistant Track Coach

RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State track and field program hired three-time Olympian and 1996 110m hurdles Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson to coach the men's and women's sprints, hurdles and relays, as announced by head coach Rollie Geiger on Friday evening.

"I'm more impressed with Allen Johnson the man, equal to his accomplishments," said NC State track and field head coach Rollie Geiger. "He is just a solid individual and is going to be a solid asset to the program both on the track and off. Obviously his athletic credentials are incredible, but I'm really impressed with Allen as a person. He will have a real, positive influence on not just our sprint and hurdles group, but our whole team."

Johnson will provide the Pack with a wealth of athletic and coaching success. The Washington, D.C., native joins NC State from the University of Kentucky where he spent two season coaching the Wildcats' sprinters, hurdlers, horizontal jumpers and relays.

Johnson was part of a Kentucky staff that totaled five top-25 finishes between indoor and outdoor track and field during his two years with the Wildcats – including a national runner up finish from the women's team during the 2015 outdoor season.

Individually, he helped guide Nick Anderson to a second-place finish in the 110m hurdles at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Anderson logged a 13.60 PR in the event and went on to compete at the USATF Olympic Team Trials.

Before Kentucky, Johnson coached at Air Force, where he guided the men's 4x400-meter relay team to Mountain West titles during both the indoor and outdoor championship meets. Highlighting the Falcons' sweep was a then-record-setting performance to clinch the program's first-ever indoor team title.

In addition to his Olympic gold, Johnson earned gold medals in the hurdles at seven IAAF World Championship meets. He finished first in the 110-meter hurdles at the outdoor world championships in 1995 (Gothenburg), 1997 (Athens), 2001 (Edmonton) and 2003 (Paris), while placing first in the 60-meter hurdles at the indoor world championships in 1995 (Barcelona), 2003 (Birmingham) and 2004 (Budapest).

In addition, Johnson finished second in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2008 indoor championships in Valencia, Spain, third at the 110-meter hurdles at the 2005 championships in Helinski, Finland and fourth in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Johnson, who was ranked as the top 110-meter hurdler in the world for four years by Track & Field News, spent 14 consecutive years listed among the world's top 10, including 12 years ranked within the top five, while finishing a record 11 races in less than 13 seconds.

A native of Washington D.C., Johnson was the 1997 recipient of the prestigious Jesse Owens Award, which is the highest accolade given out by USA Track and Field (USATF). He also earned the USATF/Visa Humanitarian Award in 1999, after leading a successful fundraiser for a new track surface at his former high school.

As a collegiate athlete at the University of North Carolina, Johnson won the 1992 NCAA championship in the 55-meter hurdles with a meet-record time of 7.07. He was the national runner-up in the 55-meter hurdles (indoor) and 110-meter hurdles (outdoor) as a senior, while setting an ACC record in the long jump. Johnson, who still holds school records at North Carolina in the indoor long jump, outdoor long jump and 110-meter hurdles, also won four ACC titles, including three in the long jump (two indoor, one outdoor) and one in the 110-meter hurdles.

Prior to joining the Wolfpack from Kenucky, Johnson served as an assistant coach with Air Force and as a volunteer coach at South Carolina under his former coach Curtis Frye.

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