University of Richmond Athletics
Baseball Hires Assistant Coach
11/04/2003 | Baseball
Nov. 4, 2003
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Head coach Ron Atkins announced today the hiring of Jason Johnson to be the new Spider pitching coach. Jason, an Auburn graduate and 1993 Colorado Rockies draftee, will join the staff with his primary responsibility to work with and oversee the pitching staff.
"Jason brings outstanding credentials to our program," Atkins said. "He has pro and college pitching experience and recently coached his summer league team to the championship. We are going to put his feet right to the fire because our young pitching staff needs a man like him to lead them."
Before coming to Richmond, Johnson most recently served as head coach and summer camp director for the Winchester Royals, in the Valley Baseball Summer League. This past summer he led the team to a championship and was named Manager of the Year and North All-Star Manager.
Johnson was drafted his junior year after compiling a 3.80 career ERA in 44 games, he later returned to graduate in 1996. While at Auburn, Johnson was selected as Mizuno National Player of the Week for pitching the first perfect game in Auburn history. Following his collegiate career, Johnson was drafted by the Rockies and later attended spring training camp with the Cincinnati Reds in 1997.
Johnson later served as an assistant coach at William & Mary in 2000 and 2001. During that time the Tribe earned a Colonial Athletic Association championship. Johnson also coached at the Florida State University baseball camp (1999-2002), Auburn University camp (1990, 1998-2000) and attended a scouting school for the Atlanta Braves (2000).
Johnson takes over the reigns of a pitching staff that won 101 games the past two seasons and compiled an ERA of 3.79 in 2002 and 3.32 in 2003. All-Atlantic 10 honoree Jason Bolinski returns after going 10-1 with a 2.40 ERA. The Spiders also return five other pitchers from last year's outstanding staff.
Second-year assistant coach Adam Taylor will take over as recruiting coordinator. Johnson fills the assistant position made available after Curtis Brown accepted an assistant position at Wake Forest in September.
