Colin Johnson - Football Coach - Ball State University Athletics

The Ball State football team competes against the Bowling Green Falcons in Scheumann Stadium on November 23, 2024. Photo by Bobby Ellis

Photo by: Ball State University/Bobby Ellis

Colin Johnson

Title:
Offensive Line Coach
Phone:
765-285-8914
Email:
cmjohnson5@bsu.edu
Alma Mater:
Ball State '03
Years at Ball State:
6th season in 2024
Years Coaching:
17th season in 2024

Ball State's running game coordinator and offensive line coach, Colin Johnson served as interim head coach of the Ball State Cardinals from Nov. 16 through the final two games of the 2024 season.

Johnson returned to his alma mater in 2019 as an assistant coach, coming back to the campus where he was an offensive lineman from 1999-02. He started at center for three seasons and was the team captain in 2002.

Johnson's coaching role with the Cardinals has been instrumental in securing the club's Mid-American Conference championship in 2020, and leading one of the MAC's most experienced offensive line units over six seasons. This year's Ball State team entered the 2024 season as the 12th-most experienced unit in the country in terms of returning starts at the Division I level.

In recent years, Damon Kaylor (2023), Ethan Crowe (2022) and Curtis Blackwell (2021) all earned All-MAC honors while anchoring Johnson's O-line. Blackwell and Crowe helped pave the way for running back Carson Steele to post 1,000-yard rushing seasons. In 2022, Ball State allowed just 4.31 tackles-for-loss per game, which was 17th-best in the nation. The team boasted its second-highest rushing average in the past 40 years, reaching 219.4 yards per game.

In Johnson's first year with the Cardinals in 2019, right tackle Danny Pinter not only earned team MVP honors but also secured a spot on the All-MAC first team. Pinter's stellar performance led to his selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the NFL draft, where he completed his rookie season in 2020.

Before returning to Ball State, he spent a season at Butler where he helped three offensive linemen earn all-conference accolades in 2018.

Johnson's other collegiate coaching stops include DePauw, The College of Wooster and Indiana, plus another stint at Butler. He spent five seasons at DePauw from 2013-17 under former Ball State head coach Bill Lynch. Johnson's primary role was with the offensive line, and he helped eight players earn all-league accolades. He worked with the offensive line at Wooster in 2012 and defensive tackles at Butler in 2011.

Johnson worked at Indiana as a special teams quality control coach and an offensive graduate assistant from 2008-10. While at Indiana, he worked with NFL draft selections Rodger Saffold and James Brewer.

His coaching career started on Indianapolis-area high school staffs at Warren Central and Zionsville after serving as an intern on the Ball State staff in 2003.

Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science from Ball State in 2003. He spent one season competing in the Arena Football League 2 as a member of the Peoria Pirates, starting 11 games and helping the Pirates to the 2004 Arena Cup.

His roots in college football extend to his playing days as a four-year letterwinner with Ball State from 1999-02. A team captain for the Cardinals in his final season, he missed a game during his junior season with a broken right hand but returned to start the final eight games after learning to snap with his left hand.

Johnson played a pivotal role in helping running back Marcus Merriweather set program single-season rushing records in 2001 and 2002. Merriweather’s mark of 1,618 yards in 2002 currently sits second in Ball State history.

At Ball State is where he met his wife, Jocelyn. The couple resides in Muncie with daughter Violet (10) and son Benjamin (8).