Lewis Tags UNI's Jeremiah Johnson as New DC
1/6/2022 4:14:00 PM | Football
KENT, OHIO- Kent State head football coach Sean Lewis has announced the hiring of Jeremiah Johnson as defensive coordinator.
Johnson comes to the Golden Flashes from the University of Northern Iowa out of the Missouri Valley Conference and Football Championship Subdivision. Johnson has served in various defensive roles with the Panthers since 2007 and had been the defensive coordinator since the 2013 season.
"We are thrilled to be welcoming Jeremiah, his wife Nicki and their children to our Kent State football family," Coach Lewis said. "Jeremiah is first and foremost a great man that is a true servant leader and will create deep meaningful relationships here in Kent. He brings years of experience coordinating dominate defenses and I look forward to working together, investing in our kids, to play elite defense here at Kent State University."
This last season, the Panthers ranked 14th in the FCS in total defense and 13th in scoring defense. Like the Golden Flashes, Northern Iowa thrived at creating turnovers, ranking fourth in the FCS with 27. The defense's attacking style recorded 35 sacks in the 2021 fall season, good for 14th in the FCS.
The 2021 fall season was a continuing trend for Johnson, whose defenses have consistently ranked in the top-10 in multiple categories. The Panthers have ranked in the top-15 in scoring defense, total defense and turnovers forced in each of the last three seasons, ranking in the top-10 in the 2019 fall and 2021 spring seasons.
"My family and I are ecstatic about the opportunity to work with Coach Lewis and his staff," Coach Johnson said. " It is an honor to be the defensive coordinator at Kent State University! I am looking forward to building relationships with the staff and student-athletes."
Kent State is coming off a Mid-American Conference East Division title in 2021. The Flashes finished the season at 7-7, securing three-straight seasons of .500 play or better for the first time since 1972-74.
