Allen Johnson, a three-time Olympian and 1996 Olympic gold medalist, became the director of North Carolina A&T's six track and field programs on June 17, 2022.
He will be responsible for directing men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor track and field and men's and women's outdoor track and field at A&T.
Johnson, a Washington, D.C., native, comes to AggieLand after serving six seasons as an assistant coach for the North Carolina State Wolfpack, where he coached sprinters and hurdlers. During his time with The Pack, he also served as Team USA's sprints and hurdles coach for the World Championships in Eugene, Ore., in 2022.
At N.C. State, he coached a 2020 USA Olympic team member and two professional Indoor World Championship USA team members. In addition, Johnson's sprinters, hurdlers and relay teams broke nine school records between indoor and outdoor during his time there, and the 4x100-meter relay team won three straight ACC championships from 2016-2018.
Johnson also spent time at the University of Kentucky (2014-16), coaching sprinters, hurdlers, horizontal jumpers and relays. He helped the Wildcat women finish second nationally during the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
During Johnson's stay, Kentucky totaled five top-25 finishes between indoor and outdoor track and field. Individually, he guided Nick Anderson to a second-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2016 NCAA outdoor championships as Anderson went on to compete at USATF Olympic Team Trials.
Before Kentucky, Johnson was an assistant at Air Force. He guided the men's 4x400m 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. Johnson began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at the University of South Carolina.
Before starting his coaching career, Johnson had a spectacular professional track and field career. In addition to his Olympic gold in the 110h in 1996, Johnson earned gold medals in the hurdles at seven IAAF World Championship meets.
Johnson was the 1997 recipient of the prestigious Jesse Owens Award, the highest accolade given 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.
He finished first in the 110h at the outdoor world championships in 1995 (Gothenburg), 1997 (Athens), 2001 (Edmonton) and 2003 (Paris), while placing first in the 60h at the indoor world championships in 1995 (Barcelona), 2003 (Birmingham) and 2004 (Budapest).
Johnson finished second in the 60h at the 2008 indoor championships in Valencia, Spain, third at the 110h at the 2005 championships in Helinski, Finland and fourth in the 110h at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Johnson was ranked as the top 110 hurdler in the world for four years by Track & Field News and had many more accomplishments.
As a collegiate athlete at UNC, Johnson won the 1992 NCAA championship in the 55m hurdles with a meet-record time of 7.07. As a senior, he was the national runner-up in the 55m hurdles (indoor) and 110m hurdles (outdoor) while setting an ACC record in the long jump. Johnson, who still holds school records at UNC in the indoor long jump, outdoor long jump and 110m hurdles, also won four ACC titles, including three in the long jump (two indoor, one outdoor) and one in the 110m hurdles.
Johnson is a graduate of North Carolina.
