_(cropped).jpg) Johnson in 2025 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | LSU |
| Conference | SEC |
| Record | 190–77 (.712) |
| Annual salary | $1.79 million per year |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1977-04-20)April 20, 1977 (age 48) Oroville, California, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1997–1998 | Shasta College |
| 1999–2000 | Point Loma Nazarene |
| Position | Second baseman |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2001–2004 | Point Loma Nazarene (asst.) |
| 2005 | Point Loma Nazarene |
| 2006–2013 | San Diego (Asst.) |
| 2014–2015 | Nevada |
| 2016–2021 | Arizona |
| 2022–present | LSU |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 507–248 (.672) |
| Tournaments | NCAA: 43–16 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| |
| Awards | |
| |
Jay Bradley Johnson[1] (born April 20, 1977)[2] is an Americancollege baseball coach and former second baseman, who is the current head baseball coach of theLSU Tigers, whom he led to national championship victories in2023 and2025. He played college baseball atShasta College from 1997 to 1998 before transferring toPoint Loma Nazarene.[3] He then served as the head coach atPoint Loma Nazarene (2005),Nevada (2014–2015)[4][5][6] andArizona (2016–2021).
Born and raised inOroville, California, Johnson graduated fromOroville High School in 1995 and began his college baseball career atShasta College, a junior college inRedding, California, in 1997.[2][7] After two years at Shasta, Johnson transferred toPoint Loma Nazarene in the 1998–99 school year to complete his college career. A second baseman and starter in the 1999 and 2000 seasons, he hit .326 for the Sea Lions as a senior.[4]
While completing his bachelor's degree in physical education, Johnson became an assistant coach at Point Loma Nazarene in 2001 and remained an assistant coach after graduating before being promoted to head coach for the 2005 season.[8] Johnson led the Sea Lions to a #6 national ranking in theNAIA and a division championship.[4]
On August 23, 2005, Johnson became an assistant coach at theUniversity of San Diego.[9] The Toreros won threeWest Coast Conference championships and made four appearances in theNCAA Division I Baseball Championship with Johnson on staff.[4]
On June 28, 2013,Nevada announced that Johnson would take over as head coach.[5]
In two seasons at Nevada, Johnson guided the Wolf Pack to a 72–42 record. In 2015, Nevada posted a 41–15 record and captured the school's first-ever Mountain West title with a 22–7 mark in league play. The Wolf Pack was ranked in the top 25 for much of the season and totaled a 13–1 record in series of at least three games. The 41 overall wins ranked second in program history. In 2015 Johnson was named Mountain West Coach of the Year.
In 2016 Johnson guided the Wildcats to a seventh appearance in the College World Series where they ended up falling to Coastal Carolina in the championship series.
On June 24, 2021, Johnson left Arizona to become the head coach of theLSU Tigers.[10]
Below is a table of Johnson's yearly records as an NCAA head baseball coach.[11]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point Loma Nazarene Sea Lions(Pacific West Conference)(2005–2005) | |||||||||
| 2005 | Point Loma Nazarene | 37–14 | 20-8 | ||||||
| Loma Nazarene: | 37–14 (.725) | 20–8 (.714) | |||||||
| Nevada Wolf Pack(Mountain West Conference)(2014–2015) | |||||||||
| 2014 | Nevada | 31–28 | 15–15 | 4th | |||||
| 2015 | Nevada | 41–15 | 22–7 | 1st | |||||
| Nevada: | 72–43 (.626) | 37–22 (.627) | |||||||
| Arizona Wildcats(Pac-12 Conference)(2016–2021) | |||||||||
| 2016 | Arizona | 49–24 | 17–15 | 3rd | College World Series Runner-up | ||||
| 2017 | Arizona | 38–21 | 16–14 | 4th | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2018 | Arizona | 34–22 | 14–16 | 6th | |||||
| 2019 | Arizona | 32–24 | 15–14 | 6th | |||||
| 2020 | Arizona | 10–5 | 0–0 | Season canceled due toCOVID-19 | |||||
| 2021 | Arizona | 45–18 | 21–9 | 1st | College World Series | ||||
| Arizona: | 208–114 (.646) | 83–68 (.550) | |||||||
| LSU Tigers(Southeastern Conference)(2022–present) | |||||||||
| 2022 | LSU | 40–22 | 17–13 | 3rd(West) | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2023 | LSU | 54–17 | 19–10 | 2nd(West) | College World Series Champions | ||||
| 2024 | LSU | 43–23 | 13–17 | T–4th(West) | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2025 | LSU | 53–15 | 19–11 | T–3rd | College World Series Champions | ||||
| 2026 | LSU | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| LSU: | 190–77 (.712) | 68–51 (.571) | |||||||
| Total: | 507–248 (.672) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||