Head Baseball Coach/Assistant Athletic Director

Jeff Johnson is entering his 16th season at the helm of the Chipola Baseball Program.

Coach Johnson has built Chipola into one of the premier JUCO programs in the country. Johnson has led the Indians to State and Region VIII Championships in 2007, 2008, and 2011 resulting in berths in the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado. The 2007 Johnson led team captured Chipola’s first ever National Championship.

Under Johnson the Indians have also won the extremely competitive Panhandle Conference seven times (’01, ’02, ’03, ’05, ’06, ’07, ’11) and received State Tournament berths as runners-up in ‘97, ‘98, ‘08, ‘09, and ‘10. Proving success at the State Tournament, Johnson’s Indians have played in the State and Region VIII Championship Game five of the last seven and seven of the last eleven years. Coach Johnson has compiled an outstanding overall record of 532-278-2 (.656). Johnson has received numerous coaching awards during his time at Chipola. He was named NJCAA National Coach of the year and ABCA/NJCAA Division 1 National Coach of the Year in 2007, NJCAA Gulf Region Coach of the year in 2007, 2008, and 2011, and Panhandle Conference Coach of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2011. From the professional ranks Coach Johnson was also named Florida Diamond Club and Southeast Professional Baseball Association Coach of the Year in 2007.

Johnson has also done tremendous work in graduating and developing players to move on to higher levels. He has had over 150 players move on to four year universities and professional baseball. Twenty-six of his former players are currently playing professional baseball, including eight at the Major League level in 2011 (Jose Bautista-3B Toronto Blue Jays, Russell Martin-Catcher Los Angeles Dodgers, Mat Gamel-1B Milwaukee Brewers, Tyler Flowers-C Chicago White Sox, Adam Loewen-OF New York Mets, Rene Tosoni-OF Minnesota Twins, Steve Clevenger-C Chicago Cubs, and Darren Ford-OF Seattle Mariners). Chipola’s headlining Major Leaguer, Jose Bautista is a 2 time MLB All-Star, as well as the defending two time Major League Baseball Homerun Champion. Along with Bautista, Chipola alumni have combined for 5 MLB All-Star appearances, 3 Silver Slugger awards, 2 Gold Gloves, and 5 MLB Futures Game appearances.

Johnson has coached three 1st round draft picks in LHP Adam Loewen (2003), RHP Alan Horne (2004), and LeVon Washington (2010), 2nd round pick Patrick Corbin (2009), 3rd round picks LHP Kyle Pawelczyk (2002) and RHP Ryan Chaffee (2008), along with 4th rounder Mat Gamel (2005), the heir apparent to Prince Fielder in Milwaukee and tabbed by many baseball insiders to be a breakout star this season. Johnson also coached three JUCO All-Americans in Matt Grooms, Tyler Flowers and Gamel. 2007 was a banner year for Indians alumni when 5 players were named league MVP or led their league in hitting or pitching at their respective professional levels.

As a high school player Johnson was an All State selection in baseball, football, and basketball at Liberty County High School in his hometown of Bristol, FL. He also holds the Florida State and National high school records for career interceptions with 43 as a defensive back.

Johnson’s began his career as a college baseball player at Gulf Coast Community College where he was a pitcher and third baseman in the 1985 and 1986 for Head Coach Bill Frazier. After earning his AA degree, he then transferred to the University of Central Florida where he was a pitcher in the 1987 and 1988 seasons. He held the school’s all time career saves record at one time and earned a BS in Physical Education.

Johnson began his coaching career at Marianna High in 1989 where he led the Bulldogs to a 127-48 record in seven seasons. He led the team to three district championships, two regional championships and a sub-regional. He also won the school’s first-ever sectional championship and took the Bulldogs to their first-ever state championship final four in 1991.
He returned to his hometown in 1996 as head coach at Liberty County High School, where he compiled a 25-7 record with a runner-up finish in the 1996 state championship. He amassed a high school record of 152-55 (.734) in eight seasons.
Coach Johnson and his wife Nancy have a daughter Shelbie.