Head Baseball
Coach/Assistant Athletic Director
Jeff Johnson is entering his 13th
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
consecutive State and Region VIII Championships, in 2007 and 2008
and berths in the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Co. winning
Chipola’s first ever National Championship in 2007.
The Indians have also won the extremely competitive
Panhandle Conference Championships in six of the last eight years
and were runners-up in 1997, 1998, and 2008. Coach Johnson has
compiled an outstanding overall record of 434-211-1 (.673) and a
Panhandle Conference record of 169-86 (.663).
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 and 2008, Panhandle Conference
Coach of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007, Florida
Diamond Club Coach of the Year in 2007, and Southeast Professional
Baseball Association Coach of the Year in 2007.
Johnson has done a
tremendous work in graduating and developing players to move on to
higher levels. He has had 121 players move on to four year
universities and professional baseball. Thirty-six of his former
players are currently playing professional baseball with three
playing at the Major League level (Jose Bautista-3B Pittsburg
Pirates, Russell Martin-Catcher Los Angeles Dodgers, and Adam
Loewen-LHP Baltimore Orioles). Chipola’s most well known big
leaguer is 2007 NL All Star Catcher and Silver Slugger Award winner
Russell Martin. The 2003 alumnus is considered by most baseball
experts as the top catcher in major league baseball. He also has
Alan Horne (AAA Yankees), Mat Gamel (AA Cubs), Cole Armstrong (AA
White Sox), Ricardo Nanita (AA White Sox) and Steve Clevenger (AA
Cubs) along with many others at the Single A level.
Johnson has coached
two 1st round draft picks in LHP Adam Loewen (2003) and
RHP Alan Horne (2004), and 3rd round picks LHP Kyle
Pawelczyk (2002) and RHP Ryan Chaffee (2008) along with 4th
rounder Mat Gamel (2005) who is considered the best hitter in
Double A baseball. He has also coached three JUCO All-Americans in
Matt Grooms, Tyler Flowers and Mat Gamel. In 2007, there were 5
former Indian players who were named MVP of their league or led
their league in hitting or pitching.
As a high school player Johnson was an All State selection in
baseball, football, and basketball. 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. He earned
an AA degree from Gulf Coast in 1986. 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 of Bristol, Florida in 1996
as head coach at Liberty County High 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 an 11 year old
daughter Shelbie.
THE JEFF JOHNSON FILE
Born: Jeffrey Mark Johnson, Oct. 26, 1965 in
Tallahassee, Fla.
HS Baseball: Liberty County 1982-1984
College Baseball: Gulf Coast Community
College 1985-86; University of Central Florida
1987-1988
Coaching Career: head baseball coach
Marianna HS, Marianna, Fla., 1989-95; head baseball
coach Liberty County HS, Bristol, Fla., 1996; head
baseball coach, Chipola College, Marianna, Fla.,
1997-2001; assistant athletic director and head
baseball coach, Chipola College 2002-2008.
Family: Wife, Nancy, daughter Shelbie
(11).
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