ST. PAUL, Minn.- Coach Bryan Johnson has been roaming the sidelines for the Northwestern Football program for the past 29 seasons. In the weeks that have followed the conclusion of the Eagles' 2023 season, Coach Johnson announced that 2023 was his final season serving on the Eagles' football coaching staff.

The announcement truly marks the end of an era for UNW Football. Coach Johnson arrived at Northwestern College in 1995. Since then Coach Johnson has seen Northwestern Football win nine conference championships, appear in seven NCCAA Victory Bowls (Victory Bowl Champions in 2000 and 2008), and make two appearances in the NCAA Division III National Tournament (2016 and 2022). Additionally, Coach Johnson has been at Northwestern long enough to see the school transition to the University of Northwestern. UNW Football celebrated 50 years of tradition this past fall and Coach Johnson, with his 29 years of coaching experience at Northwestern, has been around for more than half of the seasons that Northwestern Football has ever participated in.

Coach Johnson was a valuable addition to the Northwestern coaching staff back in 1995. He joined the Eagles' staff after having served as the Offensive Coordinator at Bethel University for the previous seven seasons. Before joining the Royals' staff in '88 he had coached the tight ends at Montana State for two seasons.

Since making the trip down Snelling from Bethel to Northwestern in 1995, nobody has been more influential to shaping the Eagles' offense in the last three decades than Coach Johnson. He served as the Eagles' Offensive Coordinator for a quarter of a century and has served as a position coach for quarterbacks, running backs, and offensive linemen throughout his tenure. If you have watched the Eagles' offense run a play over the last 29 years, you have seen Coach Johnson's influence.

There has never been an assistant coach in the history of UNW Football that has displayed the loyalty and dedication to the program that Coach Johnson has shown since 1995. He is the longest tenured assistant coach in the history of Eagle football. Coach Johnson has worked as an assistant coach for three different Eagle head coaches: Jimmy Miller, Kirk Talley, and Matt Moore. Coach Johnson has been with these coaches every step of the way, through the good times and the hard times. These coaches have valued Coach Johnson's offensive prowess and knowledge, but have valued his character and loyalty even more.

Jimmy Miller, who served as the Eagles' head coach from 1991-2000, knew Coach Johnson before they coached together at Northwestern and was a driving force in hiring him back in 1995. The former Eagle head coach had an emotional message for his longtime friend and offensive coordinator. "I've known Bryan for the last 43 years," Coach Miller said. "He was a gifted coach that could have coached at any level, but chose to coach at the DIII level so he could share his knowledge of the game and his love for Jesus. He is a man I look up to and has run a great race of faith, family, and friendship. Even though I am his elder, I often seek him out for advice in all areas of life. He epitomizes Mark 10:45: 'For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve…' Well done Coach Johnson in running a great race."

Former head coach, the all-time winningest coach in program history, Kirk Talley credits Coach Johnson for bringing him to Northwestern. "Coach Johnson was a huge blessing to me as I began as the head coach at Northwestern and was one of the reasons I chose to apply for the job," Coach Talley said. The former Eagle head coach was very complimentary of Coach Johnson's coaching ability. "He helped mature my knowledge of the game of football with his analytical approach and mind. He also had me consider the game from a much more detailed perspective and I will be forever grateful for both of those things. Coach Johnson is a tremendous teacher in the classroom and on the field. He never overlooked an opponent and always got the best out of our offensive players. Even though he was our offensive coordinator, he had a big influence on the defensive side as well. Coach Johnson has been a friend for over 40 years, a former colleague, and my co-head coach for 16 years. I grew a lot because of our relationship and I will always cherish our times together."

Current Eagle head coach Matt Moore served as a fellow assistant coach alongside Coach Johnson for multiple seasons before being named the head coach. Coach Moore emphasized just how much of an impact that Coach Johnson has had on Eagle football: "Very few people have had the impact on Eagle football that Coach Johnson has had. His impact as a gifted football 'x's and o's guy' was huge, but even larger was his impact in the lives of so many young men that have come through the program. Coach Johnson leaves this program far better because he was a part of it and he will be missed in countless ways. Thank you Coach Johnson for being a coach, mentor, and exceptional peer in my life. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle!"

Coach Johnson's coaching ability and impact on the Eagles' offense is evident, but one thing that he has focused on in recent years is investing in the future generation of Eagle coaches. One Eagle assistant coach who has been impacted by Coach Johnson's mentorship is current offensive coordinator, Boomer Roepke. "Coach Johnson will have an eternal impact on me," Coach Roepke said. "He has mentored me as a coach but most importantly in my faith, inspiring me to be the best version of myself I can be. Coach Johnson has worn many hats as a coach at Northwestern, and his servant leadership has been an example for all of us to strive to emulate. What I've truly enjoyed about Coach Johnson, is that he cares about you on and off the field and truly wants to see those around him succeed."

Coach Johnson will not be saying goodbye to Northwestern. He's retiring from his coaching role but will continue to teach within Northwestern's kinesiology department. One person who understands Coach Johnson's impact on Northwestern as well as anybody is UNW Athletic Director, Dr. Matt Hill. "Coach Johnson has played a huge role in the development of the athletic department at Northwestern," Dr. Hill said. "Over a thousand student-athletes have been influenced by his leadership, care, and desire to see them be men who follow Christ in every area of their lives. Personally, he has been a friend and inspiration to me and I will, as will many others, miss his presence on and off the field. I can't say thank you enough to Coach Johnson for his loyalty and dedication to the mission of Northwestern."

The comments about Coach Johnson truly speak for themselves. To have so many colleagues say so many positive things about him as a coach and a person, it is obvious that he made a tremendous impact on everybody who has been associated with Northwestern Football over the past three decades. Coach Johnson has shaped the Eagles' offense and helped guide them to countless wins and championships, but even more importantly he has helped shape the lives of the student-athletes who have strapped on the purple and gold helmets and shoulder pads throughout the years. Coach Johnson has been humble and soft spoken throughout the past 29 years and after all this time it only seems right that he gets the last word:

"Northwestern has been a dream job for me. Where else do you get to teach and coach such incredible young people? From the President to the Athletic Director, it has been a privilege to work under Godly leaders who always kept the main thing the main thing. The staff and faculty have always encouraged me and challenged me to continue to grow as a coach and in my faith. Both of my sons graduated from Northwestern. This place has blessed me and my family greatly. I am excited to see where the next generation of talented, young coaches we have here will take this program."- Coach Bryan Johnson