Colin Johnson returned to Butler in March of 2025 as the program's assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Prior to joining the Bulldogs, Johnson served as the run game coordinator, offensive line coach and interim head coach at Ball State.
Before joining the Cardinals in 2019, Johnson spent the 2018 campaign at Butler where he helped three offensive linemen earn all-conference accolades. That trend continued at Ball State with seven Cardinals earning All-MAC honors with Johnson overseeing the offensive line.
In 2022, Ball State boasted its second-highest rushing average in the past 40 years, reaching 219.4 yards per game. In 2020, Ball State brought home their first conference championship in 24 years and in 2019, All-MAC First Team selection Danny Pinter was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the NFL draft, where he completed his rookie season.
Johnson was an offensive lineman at Ball State from 1999-02. He started at center for three seasons and was the team captain in 2002. He returned to Muncie in 2019 as an assistant coach.
Johnson's coaching role while with the Cardinals was instrumental in securing the club's Mid-American Conference championship in 2020. That season ended with Ball State winning the 2020 Arizona Bowl over San Jose State 34-13.
Johnson's other collegiate coaching stops include DePauw, The College of Wooster and Indiana, plus another stint at Butler. He spent five seasons at DePauw from 2013-17 under former Ball State head coach Bill Lynch. Johnson's primary role was with the offensive line, and he helped eight players earn all-league accolades. He worked with the offensive line at Wooster in 2012 and defensive tackles at Butler in 2011.
Johnson worked at Indiana as a special teams quality control coach and an offensive graduate assistant from 2008-10. While at Indiana, he worked with NFL draft selections Rodger Saffold and James Brewer.
His coaching career started on Indianapolis-area high school staffs at Warren Central and Zionsville after serving as an intern on the Ball State staff in 2003. Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science from Ball State in 2003.
