Dispatch
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Strength coach likely to leave
OSU program
Friday, May 12, 2006
Tim May and Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<!--PHOTOS--> <table class="phototableright" align="right" border="0"> <!-- begin large ad code --> <tbody><tr><td> <table align="center"></table> </td></tr> </tbody> </table>
Ohio State football strength and conditioning coach Allan Johnson is expected to leave the school by the end of May, sources close to the program told The Dispatch on the condition of anonymity last night.
The decision apparently is mutual, with Johnson pursuing other options and
OSU not standing in his way. Neither Johnson nor coach Jim Tressel returned calls yesterday. Athletics department spokesman Steve Snapp said he could not confirm anything.
Johnson, 49, came to
OSU in June 2001, replacing Dave Kennedy, who had been strength coach since 1989. Johnson was named National Strength Coach of the Year in 2002.
Before coming to Columbus, Johnson was West Virginia’s strength coach. He is a Parkersburg, W.Va., native.
One possible candidate to replace Johnson is Mike Cochran, a former assistant under Johnson at
OSU before leaving to become Marshall’s strength coach last year.
Before coming to
OSU, Cochran spent six years as a graduate assistant coach and strength coach under Tressel at Youngstown State.