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Wayne State University Athletics

Matt Johnston

Matt Johnston

UPDATED January 16, 2023
  • Concluded his eighth year at WSU in the fall of 2022
Matt Johnston joined the Wayne State University football coaching staff in the summer of 2015 as assistant linebackers coach.  He worked with the linebackers and special teams in 2016 and assisted in that same capacity in 2017.  The fall of 2022 was his eighth year as a part-time coach with the Warriors.

He had two All-GLIAC honorees in 2022 as Julius Wilkerson was voted to the All-GLIAC Second Team with Matt Buschman being named Honorable Mention All-GLIAC.  Wilkerson was the lone Division 2 student-athlete named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy (Academic Heisman) by the National Football Foundation.  In addition, Wilkerson was a national finalist for the John Wooden Citizenship Cup after being tabbed as the GLIAC's Jack H. McAvoy Award winner, which is presented annually to a GLIAC football player who best combines outstanding character and leadership on the field, in the classroom and in the community.  Buschman led the nation with five fumble recoveries.  In addition, five of his student-athletes garnered Academic All-GLIAC honors, including two on the Excellence Team (cumulative GPA 3.5+).

He helped mentor two All-GLIAC performers in 2021 as Wilkerson finished second in the GLIAC with 104 tackles to earn First Team All-GLIAC recognition, while Brandon Tuck-Hayden finished third in the GLIAC in tackles per game (9.3) and received Honorable Mention All-GLIAC accolades.

In 2020, he helped five members of his linebacker corps receive Academic All-GLIAC recognition, including two (Spencer Stephenson and Wilkerson) that earned All-Academic Excellence honors.

Johnston assisted in mentoring five GLIAC All-Academic honoree linebackers in 2019, including two on the Excellence Team (Ryan Smith and Wilkerson).  Smith was also the squad's Ron Solack Award winner, which is given annually to the player who wore his Wayne State uniform with unmatched pride and played the game with enthusiasm.  Wilkerson was WSU's Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Senior Leon Eggleston was a First Team All-American (D2Football.com) and a Second Team All-American (AFCA) in 2019, along with receiving Wayne State's Defensive Most Valuable Player award.  Eggleston was a First Team All-GLIAC selection, while Brandon Tuck-Hayden was voted to the All-GLIAC Second Team.

The Warrior special teams ranked fifth nationally in blocked punts (4) and seventh in blocked kicks (7), while the WSU defense was 13th in defensive touchdowns (4), 18th in sacks per game (3.0), 21st in third-down defense (30.6% - 44-of-144), and 23rd in red zone defense (69.2%).  Wayne State led the GLIAC (for league games only) in sacks (29), while ranking third in scoring defense allowing just 21.9 points per contest.

WSU finished 31st nationally in punt return average (13.07) in 2018, while Johnston helped tutor Honorable Mention All-GLIAC kicker Shane Hynes, who also received WSU's Special Teams Player of the Year award.  Paul Graham finished 35th nationally in field goal percentage (70.0).

Also in 2018, Johnston helped mentor First Team All-GLIAC honoree Anthony Pittman, along with Honorable Mention All-GLIAC selection Leon Eggleston.  Eggleston was WSU's Defensive MVP and the squad's Cortez Smith Award winner, while fellow linebacker Drew Dowding was the Scholar-Athlete Award recipient for the team.  In addition, freshman linebacker Spencer Stephenson tied-for-33rd nationally with two fumble recoveries.

In 2017, he assisted Wayne State in finishing 20th nationally in blocked punts (2) and 37th in D2 with four blocked kicks.  In addition, Johnston helped mentor place-kicker Paul Graham, who led the GLIAC in field goal percentage, tied-for-second in field goals made (11), fourth in longest field goal (45 yards) and fifth in points by a kicker (60).  His 84.6 field goal percentage was ninth in Division II.  Two of his kickers (Luke Bevilacqua and Graham) earned GLIAC All-Academic honors.

He helped the Warriors finish 15th nationally in kickoff return defense (16.82 yards per return) in 2016.

In 2015, Johnston mentored two All-GLIAC recipients in Second Team honoree Valorian Cunningham and Honorable Mention selection Anthony DeDamos.  In addition, eight members of the linebacking corps received Academic All-GLIAC recognition, including five (Dustin Carlin, Carterris Carter, DeDamos, Dowding and Brook Higgins) on the All-Academic Excellence Team.  Three others (Randy Garvin, Zach Heddy and Idris Hobdy) were named to the All-GLIAC Academic Team.  Dowding was also recognized as the squad's Defensive Rookie of the Year after ranking 44th nationally in fumbles recovered.  DeDamos led all GLIAC linebackers and was 40th nationally in tackles for loss with 1.5 per game.

The WSU defense finished 44th nationally in first downs defense allowing just 197 throughout the season, while ranking 45th in rushing defense (135.4 yards allowed per game) and 48th in tackles for loss with 7.3 per contest.

Johnston spent two seasons (2013 and 2014) at Manchester University (N. Manchester, Ind.) as linebackers coach and video coordinator.  In 2013, he coached senior linebacker Zach Dashner to Division III All-North Region accolades.  In addition, Dashner and classmate Dylin Kennedy shared team MVP honors.  Kennedy, who ranked among the top 10 in NCAA Division III in solo tackles per game, topped the defense with 94 tackles. Dashner led the team and Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) with six picks and was second for MU in tackles (74).  Kennedy was a First Team All-HCAC selection with Dashner being voted to the All-HCAC Second Team for 2013.

He was the running backs and fullback coach at Kentucky Christian University for the 2013 spring ball season.  Before going to KCU, Johnston had been a graduate assistant linebackers coach at William Penn University of Iowa for two years (2011 and 2012), while also serving as the defensive coordinator for the J.V. squad.  He earned his master's degree from WPU in business leadership.

In 2010, Johnston was the offensive coordinator at Warren Fitzgerald High School after serving as running backs coach at Adrian College, his alma mater, for two seasons in 2008 and 2009.  In 2008, Adrian led the league with 238.5 rushing yards per game. He was also the J.V. offensive coordinator at Adrian.  He helped the 2010 WFHS squad to an 8-4 record, a district runner-up finish, and a state playoff berth. The offense averaged over 330 yards per game, including 203.2 on the ground.

Johnston was a three-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs (2005-07) and after his final season began an internship with the AC strength and conditioning program where he also served as an assistant defensive line coach.

He graduated from Adrian College with a bachelors' degree in English and a minor in Spanish.   During his time at Adrian, he was a resident assistant for three years and President of SGA (Student Government Association).

A native of St. Clair Shores, Mich., Johnston played his high school football at Lutheran East.  While at LEHS, he was a 2004 Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Division IV Second Team All-State outfielder, while also earning All-Metro Conference honors in football.

He and his wife, Kristin, live in Detroit with their son, Ezra, and daughter, Waverly.
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