Vincent Johnson

Vincent Johnson joined the Nebraska track and field program as a horizontal jumps coach in September of 2022.

Johnson came to Nebraska from Kansas State, where he coached two individual national champions. Since joining the Huskers, Johnson has coached three Big Ten individual champions and nine All-America jumpers. 

In his third season on staff in 2025, Johnson coached Micaylon Moore to the triple jump silver medal at the NCAA Indoor Championships, while Rhianna Phipps (triple jump) and Lishanna Ilves (long jump) were also All-Americans. 

Johnson coached five athletes to All-America honors during his second season in 2024, while Moore and Phipps won Big Ten titles in the triple jump. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Velecia Williams became the first Husker to earn first-team All-America honors in the women's outdoor long jump since 2014, finishing seventh. 

The jumps consistently bolstered NU's team score at the Big Ten Championships in 2024, with eight top-eight finishes on the men's side at the indoor meet, led by Moore taking the triple jump title and placing fourth in the long jump. At the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Moore contributed a runner-up finish in the long jump and Wilson took the silver in the triple jump. On the women's side, Phipps secured the triple jump title and Ilves grabbed third in the long jump.

In his first season in 2023, Johnson guided three NU jumpers to All-America honors, while Lotavia Brown won the Big Ten outdoor triple jump crown. 

Johnson joined the Huskers after serving as the sprints and jumps coach and recruiting coordinator at Kansas State for 11 seasons. In his time at K-State, Johnson helped the horizontal jumps and sprints reach new heights. The K-State jumpers and sprinters totaled two NCAA titles, eight Big 12 titles, three first-team All-American honors, and the women's 4x100m relay squad placed eighth overall at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

In 2019, K-State had its first women's NCAA triple jump champion, as Shardia Lawrence took the triple jump crown with a final jump of 45-10 3/4 (13.99m), while breaking the K-State school record three times in the competition. With the jump, Lawrence went down as the indoor and outdoor triple jump school record holder, while becoming the first woman to win the event in K-State history. Lawrence also swept the Big 12 indoor/outdoor triple jump titles during the season.

Along with Lawrence, Johnson coached Jullane Walker to his first NCAA Championship in the long jump, while coaching eight individuals to the NCAA West Preliminary, including four between the men's and women's triple and long jump. Johnson also coached Taishia Pryce (long jump) and Lawrence (triple jump) to Big 12 outdoor championships, while Konstantina Romaiou (triple jump) and Walker (200 meters) finished as the runner-up.

As the recruiting coordinator, Johnson helped the Wildcats land a pair of top-10 recruiting classes. Johnson’s first year with K-State was highlighted by his part in helping the Wildcats land the No. 6 women’s recruiting class in the nation as ranked by Track & Field News. Johnson would help the Wildcats to several more appearances on the top recruiting classes in the nation.

Before joining K-State for the 2011-12 season, Johnson spent four years at Lancaster High School in Lancaster, Texas. He served as an assistant coach and jumps coordinator and helped lead the team to four straight Texas Class 4A State Championships. While coaching in Lancaster, Johnson also founded and organized a jump specific club called the Texas ‘FACES’ Track Club.

Prior to his time in Lancaster, Johnson spent one year at North Panola High School in Mississippi as the head coach to lay the foundation for a new track and field program at the school. Johnson also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Nacogdoches High School in Texas where he worked specifically with the sprinters and jumpers.

Johnson’s athletes saw tremendous individual success in addition to the state titles his teams won. In particular, 2011 was an especially notable year as Johnson’s athletes’ accolades included international gold medals, a USA Junior Champion and athlete of the year awards. On the international level, Johnson coached sprinter Jennifer Madu to a gold medal in the 100 meters at the 2011 IAAF World Youth Championships in France and Field to a gold medal in the long jump at the 2011 Pan American Junior Championships. Field’s most recent effort internationally saw him finish second in the long jump at the North America, Central America, and Caribbean Under-23 Championships.

In national competition, Field won the long jump title at the USA Junior Championships. Field and Madu were also named as both The Dallas Morning News Dallas-Fort Worth area and Texas Gatorade Track and Field Athletes of the Year.

Along with extensive high school coaching experience, Johnson has collegiate coaching experience working as a graduate assistant and then a full-time assistant coach for his alma mater, Alcorn State. After earning his degree from Alcorn State in recreation studies, Johnson then served as a graduate assistant while earning his masters in health and physical education. During his time at Alcorn State as a coach, Johnson was charged with overseeing the jumpers and supervising the freshman athletes. He helped coach athletes to eight Southwestern Athletic Conference titles.

As an athlete for Alcorn State, Johnson was highly successful in the field events as well. He won three SWAC titles, two in the triple jump and one in the long jump and was named SWAC Most Outstanding Performer. He also was a three-time qualifier for NCAA Regionals in the long jump.

Johnson has a Level II certification from USATF in jumps and sprints, Hurdles and Relays Specialist through the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Academy. He and his wife, Tonoher, have two children, a daughter, Gili Mi’Joi, and a son, Nisbyc Nehemiah.