Earlier this season, the NC State track and field team hired Allen Johnson as an assistant coach to lead the men’s and women’s sprints, hurdles and relays.
Johnson is arguably the most dominant 110-meter hurdler of all time. His accolades include seven U.S. outdoor championships, four World Outdoor titles and a gold medal performance at the 1996 Olympic games. Additionally, he has broken the magical 13-second barrier 11 times, more than any other high hurdler.
Despite these accomplishments, the Washington, D.C. native recalls his most defining athletic moment from back during his college days at UNC-Chapel Hill.
“The defining moment for me was winning the NCAA Championships when I was in college,” Johnson said. “I was an indoor NCAA champion. Things had kind of clicked for me before that, but it came together on a big stage and I knew I was a pretty good hurdler.”
Johnson originally took up hurdling because his high school coach simply required him to.
“Honestly, there was nothing that attracted me to the 110m hurdles,” Johnson said. “It was an event that I thought was crazy and stupid. And my high school coach made me do it.”
During high school, Johnson had quite a bit of success in the long jump, triple jump and high jump as well.
At UNC, Johnson thrived in the 110s, as he worked under a handful of seasoned coaches including legendary track and field names such as Curtis Frye, Charles Foster and Dennis Craddock. However, there were many other coaches who positively impacted Johnson’s hurdling career along the way.
“They all were crucial to me at the time they came into my life to get me to where I needed to be,” Johnson said. “I would have to name Bob Bigby, my high school coach, Dennis Craddock, who was the head coach at UNC, Charles Foster, who basically taught me how to hurdle in college; he was the assistant coach at UNC. As well as Curtis Frye. He’s a former NC State coach and UNC coach who is now the head coach at South Carolina. Last but not least, Sylvanues Hepburn.”
Since retiring from his hurdling career in 2010, Johnson has discovered that coaching is something he has a passion for. Paying it forward and impacting the lives of young athletes is what he values most about coaching.
“My favorite thing about coaching is being involved with young people, watching them grow, trying to be a part of that maturation process and seeing the smile on their face when they achieve their goal,” Johnson said.
His joy for working and bonding with his athletes is recognized by the students he coaches as well.
“He tries to connect and make a bond with his athletes,” sophomore hurdler Gabriele Cunningham said. “When we’re not feeling good, he makes it his job to ask us how we’re doing every day, to make sure that we’re okay to practice because he doesn’t want us getting injured. He likes to get our opinions on how we feel about running certain races, if we feel prepared, or if we feel that there’s anything he can do different. He definitely asks those questions which is good as a coach.”
After originally coaching a handful of individual athletes, Johnson took his first team opportunity at the United States Air Force Academy.
“I started out working with some guys who asked me to help them out and I enjoyed doing it,” Johnson said. “Then, an opportunity presented itself at the United States Air Force Academy. The head coach out there, Ralph Lindeman, took a chance on me and it went from there. I went out to the Air Force Academy and loved every minute of it. That’s where I really fell in love with coaching, working with those cadets and being in that environment.”
After the Air Force Academy, Johnson transitioned over to the University of Kentucky. During his tenure with the Wildcats, Johnson was part of a staff that oversaw a NCAA outdoor runner-up finish from its women’s team. Ultimately, Johnson selected his next destination with the Wolfpack for a number of reasons.
“It was an opportunity for me to come back to the Triangle area,” Johnson said. “This was one of my top two schools when I was being recruited out of high school. They have a good staff, a good team and I thought that this would be a really good opportunity for me in my next step in coaching.”
In his first few months with the Pack, Johnson has already taken note of the pride that fills the Wolfpack community.
“My favorite thing about the Wolfpack is the pride,” Johnson said. “The pride and the commitment to excellence. I think it’s a great institution. It’s my first time really being on this campus, but it’s a really good school and a really great place to get an education.”
With positivity and an abundance of sprint and hurdle talent to work with, it’s likely the Wolfpack’s partnership with Johnson will be a fruitful one.
