Wisconsin Badgers

Eric Johnson third season with the Wisconsin football program in 2021, serving as executive director of football administration.

A native of Milwaukee and a veteran of Big Ten football, Johnson spent 15 seasons in coaching and recruiting roles at Iowa and joined the Badgers after five years in private business.

At UW, Johnson is responsible for the strategic management of the football program as well as coordinating its recruiting operations.

A standout at Whitefish Bay High School in Milwaukee, Johnson went on to play two seasons of football at Vanderbilt before being injured. He then worked as a student assistant under head coach Gerry DiNardo and went on to serve as the Commodores’ director of football operations and later as a graduate assistant working with linebackers and defensive backs.

Joining Iowa’s football staff as a graduate assistant under head coach Kirk Ferentz in 1999, Johnson went on to spend 15 seasons with the Hawkeyes. His first two years were spent managing all aspects of Iowa’s recruiting efforts in the dedicated role of recruiting coordinator.

Johnson retained that title throughout his tenure with the Hawkeyes and was named one of the nation’s top three recruiting coordinators by CBS Sports in 2008. He also found success as a coach, spending a total of seven seasons as Iowa’s tight ends coach, from 2003-07 and again from 2010-11, while also coaching linebackers (2008-09) and defensive line (2012-13).

Johnson coached eight NFL draft picks at Iowa, including five tight ends and first-team All-America linebacker Pat Angerer.

With Johnson on staff, Iowa won Big Ten championships in 2002 and 2004 and recorded four top-10 finishes in the AP Top 25. The Hawkeyes played in 11 bowl games, including seven Jan. 1 bowls and a pair of Orange Bowl appearances, during Johnson’s time in Iowa City.

Johnson and his wife, Patsy, have twin daughters, Jamie and Sydney, and a son, Robert.