BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb football announced several coaching changes within the program, including two new hires heading into the 2022 spring practice season.
Head coach Tre Lamb welcomed B.J. Johnson (receivers) and Jireh Wilson (cornerbacks / special teams co-coordinator) to the coaching staff and welcomed Amaya Harrington as Director of Football Operations and On Campus Recruiting.
Lamb promoted Jamere Hogue to Associate Head Coach (defensive line) and also promoted Tyler Dell to tight ends coach. Linebackers coach Michael Gray added duties as special teams co-coordinator and Holden McAbee was promoted to Director of Player Personnel.
“We are excited to bring both B.J. and Jireh on board,” said Lamb. “Both will bring energy and expertise to our staff and have great experience under their belts already. All of our personnel moves strengthen the foundation that we are building here at Gardner-Webb.
“Amaya is an experienced addition to our support staff and will be a major resource for our program from top to bottom,” added Lamb. “Her decision to join us here will be a big boost to Gardner-Webb football.”
Johnson joins the Gardner-Webb staff after a season on the sidelines at Texas Tech, where he spent one year as an offensive graduate assistant with the Red Raiders’ inside receivers and tight ends.
The Woodruff, S.C., native was part of an offensive staff that helped the program to seven wins and a 34-7 win over Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl last season. Texas Tech averaged 416.4 yards of total offense per game and scored 30.3 points per game.
Johnson spent the 2020 season in the PAC-12 at Colorado, serving as a defensive graduate assistant. He helped the Buffaloes to a 4-2 record and a berth in the Valero Alamo Bowl during his time in Boulder.
Prior to his move to the FBS ranks, Johnson spent the 2019 season at Division II Savannah State as the receivers coach. Johnson helped the Tigers to a 7-3 mark, which was the program’s first winning campaign in 22 years. Savannah State finished the 2019 season with a perfect 5-0 mark in the SIAC.
Johnson was a volunteer coach at Woodruff (S.C.) High, his alma mater, after a strong college career at Georgia Southern. He caught 93 balls for 1,338 yards and six touchdowns from 2013-2016, averaging 14.4 yards per catch for the Eagles. He helped Georgia Southern to a 2015 GoDaddy Bowl win over Bowling Green.
After his college career, Johnson signed a free agent deal with the San Francisco 49ers and made the team before a hamstring injury on the first week of the 2017 regular season cut his career short.
Johnson played prep football at Woodruff High, earning All-State honors twice after catching 165 passes for 2,780 yards and 30 touchdowns during a stellar career.
Wilson comes to Gardner-Webb after spending two seasons at Division II North Greenville in Tigerville, S.C., where he coached the outside linebackers. Wilson was a full-time staff members in 2021 after joining the Crusaders’ program as a graduate assistant coach in 2020.
The Calhoun, Ga., native played collegiately at nearby Wofford College, where he anchored one of the nation’s top FCS defensive units. He led the Terriers to four FCS national playoff appearances during his time in Spartanburg.
Wilson played in 52 games over four seasons with the Terriers, collecting 196 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He started all 12 games as a senior, led the team with 56 tackles and earned first-team All-SoCon honors from both the coaches and the media.
Part of that production was a three-sack game vs. Gardner-Webb on September 21. He had nine tackles in the first round of the FCS Playoffs vs. Kennesaw State. Wilson started 13 games as a junior in 2018, registering a team-best 59 total stops. He was a SoCon All-Freshman Team selection in 2016 after recording 34 total tackles in 14 games.
Harrington joined the GWU family after spending this past year as Assistant Director of Football Recruiting at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, her alma mater. The Flintstone, Ga., native gradated from UTC with a degree in sport, outdoor recreation and tourism management, and sports management in 2021.
Her previous experience also includes time as Director of Football On Campus Recruiting at Arkansas State during the spring and summer of 2021 and a variety of roles with the Chattanooga football program as an undergraduate from 2017 until graduation.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs wrapped up their 2022 Spring Practice season earlier this week