Mark Johnson Named Sam Houston State's Baseball Head Coach.
July 6, 2006
FRISCO, Texas -
Mark Johnson, who directed Texas A&M to two NCAA College World Series appearances and a record of 876 victories, 433 losses, and three ties in 19 years as Aggie head coach, is the new baseball coach at Sam Houston State University, Bearkat Director of Athletics Bobby Williams announced Thursday.
On July 16 Johnson will become the sixth head coach in Sam Houston State 's modern history. Johnson served as head baseball coach at Texas A&M from 1986 to 2005. He won Southwest Conference championships in 1986, 1989, and 1993 and Big 12 league titles in 1998 and 1999. His teams competed in the NCAA playoffs 13 times, making 13 NCAA regional appearances and reaching the College World Series in 1993 and 1999.
Johnson was Sporting News National Coach of the Year in 1993 and is a member of both the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Texas Baseball Hall of Fames.
"During our search for a new head baseball coach, I have been extremely pleased with the high quality of our applicant pool. It makes me proud that such talented coaches think highly of our program and what we are trying to accomplish at Sam Houston," Williams said. "Hiring Mark Johnson as head coach brings instant credibility to our baseball program. We are excited about the hire not only because Mark is a proven winner on a national level but also because of his commitment to education as well as success on the field."
During Johnson's tenure at Texas A&M, 272 baseball players competed in the baseball program. As of May, 2005, 227 of those players (84 percent) had earned their college degrees. In addition, 25 other baseball players are enrolled and are expected to received a degree, bringing Johnson's graduation rate up to 93 percent.
Johnson is a graduate of the University of New Mexico where he received his bachelor's degree in science and physical education in 1967 and his master's degree in Recreation and Physical Education in 1971. He earned All-Conference honors as a member of the Lobos' baseball team in 1965, 1966, and 1967 and was NCAA All-Region in 1967.
After playing professional baseball in the Mets organization from 1967 to 1969, Johnson served as an assistant coach at New Mexico (1969 to 1971), Arizona (1971 to 1976), and Mississippi State (1976 to 1982) before joining Tom Chandler's staff at Texas A&M in 1982.
During his 19 years as head coach at Texas A&M, 108 players were selected in the Major League baseball draft. Johnson was named as ABCA Regional Coach of the Year in 1986, 1993, 1998, and 1999. He was Big 12 "Coach of the Year" in 1998 and 1999 and Southwest Conference "Coach of the Year" in 1986, 1989, and 1993. He served as head coach for Team USA in the summer of 1999. His teams at Texas A&M were ranked number one in the nation for 11 weeks in 1989, six weeks in 1993, and three times in 1999.
"Obviously, I'm excited to get back into coaching with this opportunity at Sam Houston State University," Johnson said. "I'm a coach and a teacher and I love working with young people. When I visited Sam Houston during the interview I was very impressed with the people and the university. They share my vision and it's going to be a great fit. Sam Houston State, with its great location, quality academics, and outstanding facilities, has tremendous potential. The university has a long history of baseball success that includes many special moments."