Mark Johnson Tabbed Women's Hockey Coach
May 23, 2002 | Women's Hockey
The University of Wisconsin announced today that Mark Johnson, former men's assistant ice hockey coach, has been named head coach of the women's ice hockey program.
The third head coach for the women's ice hockey program, Johnson joins the staff after serving the men's program as an assistant coach since 1996. While with the men's program, he helped the team to a WCHA regular-season title during the 1999-00 season, as well as a WCHA Final Five championship in the 1997-98 campaign. Current NHL players Steve Reinprecht (Colorado Avalanche), David Tanabe (Carolina Hurricanes) and Dany Heatley (Atlanta Thrashers) are among those who played for the Badgers during Johnson's UW coaching career.
Prior to his time with the Badgers, Johnson coached in the pro ranks, directing the expansion Madison Monsters for the 1995-96 season and earning Colonial Hockey League Coach of the Year honors for their 37-30-7 mark. He also led a pair of area high schools, serving as the head coach for Verona High School for 1994-95, and as the assistant coach for Madison Memorial High School for 1993-94.
Most recently, Johnson served as an assistant coach with the 2002 U.S. Men's National Team that competed in the 2002 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, held April 26-May 11, in Gothenberg, Jonkoping, and Karlstad, Sweden. He had previously served in a similar capacity for the 2000 World Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia. In September 2001, he took part in the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Orientation Camp in Colorado Springs, featuring 38 of the top American players in the NHL, as an on-ice assistant coach.
One of Wisconsin's most decorated athletes in any sport and a 1991 charter member of the National W Club Hall of Fame, Johnson helped the Badgers to the 1977 national championship as a frosh. The first Badger to win WCHA Rookie of the Year that season, he went on to become the school's second all-time leading scorer with 256 points on a school-record 125 goals and 131 assists in just three seasons. The 1978-79 WCHA MVP was a two-time first team All-WCHA pick and a two-time All-American. He was also recently selected as one of the WCHA's 'Top 50 Players in 50 Years. '
Johnson has represented USA Hockey, as a player, in 13 international tournaments, with his most recent appearance as part of the U.S. National Team at the 1998 IIHF (A-Pool) World Championship Qualification Tournament in Austria. Most notably, he led the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team's gold medal-winning effort with 11 points, including two goals in the 'Miracle-On-Ice' against the Soviet Union and the game-winning goal against Finland in the final contest. The team attended the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games this past February to light the flame and was honored by Sports Illustrated as giving us the `Greatest Sports Moment of the Century. '
Following his Olympic experience, Johnson embarked on a successful 11-year National Hockey League career. He began his pro tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins (1980-82), before moving onto the Minnesota North Stars (1982). He also enjoyed stints with the Hartford Whalers (1982-85), St. Louis Blues (1985) and New Jersey Devils (1985-90). Over his 669 career NHL contests, the forward collected 203 goals, 305 assists and 508 points, highlighted by his 87-point season as captain of Hartford in 1983-84. He also tied an NHL All-Star Game record with three assists that year.
A 1999 inductee into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, Johnson is the son of legendary Wisconsin men's head coach Bob Johnson (1966-82) and brother of former men's assistant coach Peter Johnson (1987-91).
Johnson, 44, earned his bachelor's of science degree in kinesiology from Wisconsin in 1994. He is married to wife Leslie and resides in Madison with five children: Douglas, Christopher, Patrick, Mikayla and Megan.
Wisconsin's women's hockey team completed its third season in 2001-02, finishing second in the WCHA with a 22-11-2 overall record and 17-6-1 league mark. The team also finished second at the WCHA Women's Final Five.
