BATON ROUGE, La. - Alcorn State University cross country and track and field head coach Brian Johnson will be inducted into the Southern University Sports Hall of Fame Friday evening at an enshrinement ceremony at the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino and Hotel. The event is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
"This honor means a lot to me," said Johnson. "It's the first time I've been honored by my alma mater and I've always wanted to be inducted into the SU Hall of Fame."
Johnson is one of 20 inductees in the 2017 class, which will also be recognized at Southern's football game this Saturday against Prairie View A&M.
A three-time All-American at SU, Johnson finished third in the long jump at the 2001 and 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships and placed fifth in the 100-meter dash at the 2002 Outdoor Nationals with a time of 10.46. In 2003, he won the long jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a jump of 27 feet, two inches.
After earning his bachelor's degree in 2003, Johnson continued to compete in the US Indoor and Outdoor Championships. He finished first in the 2005 indoor long jump and claimed the 2006 indoor and outdoor long jump titles. He ranked ninth in the world in 2005 and 2009 and was sixth in 2007.
A native of Iowa, Louisiana, Johnson is one of three athletes in SU history to compete in the Olympics. As a member of the 2008 U.S. men's team, he placed second in the Olympic Trials and was 22nd in qualifying at the Olympic Games.
Johnson began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Jaguars in 2003 and served as head coach from 2010-2014. Under Johnson's guidance, the men's and women's Jaguar teams earned second-place finishes at the 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships. He coached Devin Jenkins to winning titles in the 60-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter races at the 2014 SWAC conference meet.
#FearTheBrave
Â
