Mark Johnson
Winningest Coach in Texas A&M History
Coach Johnson received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of New Mexico. He played three years of Professional baseball in the New York Mets organization. For 15 years he was an assistant baseball coach at his Alma Mater (UNM), University of Arizona, Mississippi State University, and Texas A&M University. In 1984 he became the successful head baseball coach at Texas A&M University, and over 21 seasons became the winningest coach in A&M history. In 2007 Coach J became the head coach at Sam Houston State University, a program that had not had a winning record for eight seasons. In his first year, the Bearkats won 40 games, the Southland Conference Tournament Championship, and reached the finals of the NCAA Regional tournament at Ole Miss. In his five years, Coach Johnson’s teams won three Southland Conference Tournament Championships and played in three NCAA Regional Tournaments.
He was president of the 6,000 member American Baseball Coaches Association in 1994 and currently serves on their Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Brazos Valley Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He has, either as an assistant or head coach, competed 5 times at Omaha, Nebraska, the site of the NCAA baseball Championship and in 1976 he was an assistant coach for the Arizona Wildcats National Championship team.
In 1991 Coach Johnson was selected as an assistant coach for the USA National Baseball team that competed and medaled in the Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba. In 1999, he was the head coach for the USA National team. He has co-authored three books published by the ABCA. The following are Professional Recognitions he has received:
-2012 ABCA “Lefty Gomez Award” – ABCA’s highest honor
-2009 ABCA Ethics in Coaching Award (inaugural recipient)
-2007 Fellowship of Christian Athletes Baseball “Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching” Award
-2006 University of New Mexico Hall of Honor Inductee
-2001 Inductee into the ABCA Coaches Hall of Fame
-2002 Inductee into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame
-1999 Sporting News National Coach of the Year
-ABCA Regional Coach of the Year in 1986, 1993, 1998, & 1999
-BIG XII Coach of the Year in 1998, 1999, and 2003
-SWC Coach of the Year in 1986, 1989, and 1993
-1999 United States Olympic Committee Coach of the Year
-1997-98 Student Athlete Advisory Committee Coach of the Year
-2006 Round Rock Express Lifetime Achievement Award
-Winningest baseball coach in Texas A&M history
He has been happily married to his high school sweetheart, Linda, for 50 years. She is the Executive Director of the Brazos Valley CPA Chapter and Treasurer of Celebration Women’s Ministry, Inc., a state and national women’s ministry. They have two sons who both played baseball for their father at Texas A&M, and who both received the “Male Academic Athlete of the Year” before graduating from Texas A&M. Both sons are married and have given their folks five outstanding grandchildren.
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