Michigan State University Athletics
Football
Colin Johnson
- Title:
- Assistant Offensive Line Coach
- Email:
- football@msu.edu
- Phone:
- 355-1647
Colin Johnson is in his first year at Michigan State in 2026 as an assistant offensive line coach.
Johnson, who has more than 20 years of coaching experience, spent the 2025 season at Butler as the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/running backs coach for the Bulldogs. Two players earned All-Pioneer Football League honors, including first-team offensive lineman Charles Mackley. Johnson had three stints overall at Butler, coaching the offensive line in 2018 and the defensive tackles in 2011.
Prior to Butler, Johnson coached for five seasons at his alma mater, Ball State, from 2019-24 as the running game coordinator and offensive line coach. He spent the last two games of the 2024 season as the interim head coach for the Cardinals.
Five players on the offensive line garnered All-MAC honors under Johnson at BSU: Danny Pinter (first team, 2019), Curtis Blackwell (second team, 2020-21; third team, 2019), Ethan Crowe (second team, 2022), Corey Stewart (first team, 2023) and Damon Kaylor (third team, 2023).
Ball State finished the 2020 season ranked No. 23 in the final AP Poll with a 7-1 record after winning the MAC Championship over Buffalo and beating San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl. During Johnson’s first season in Muncie, he mentored Pinter, who earned first-team All-MAC accolades and was selected in the fifth round (No. 149 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Colts.
Johnson coached five seasons (2013-17) at DePauw, primarily working with the offensive line, where he tutored eight all-league players. He also spent one season at Wooster in 2012 following his first stint at Butler in 2011.
Johnson has previous experience in the Big Ten, coaching at Indiana for three seasons (2008-10) as a special team quality control coach and offensive graduate assistant. During his time in Bloomington, he worked with NFL draft picks Rodger Saffold and James Brewer.
Johnson began his coaching career at Warren Central High School and Zionsville High School in the Indianapolis area after serving as an intern at Ball State on the offensive staff in 2003.
A four-year letterwinner at Ball State from 1999-2002, Johnson was a team captain as a senior. During his junior season in 2021, he missed a game with a broken right hand, but returned to start the final eight games after learning how to snap with his left hand.
Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Ball State in 2003. Following his collegiate career, he spent one season playing in the Arena Football League 2 as a member of the Peoria Pirates, starting in 11 games and helping the Pirates to the 2004 Arena Cup.
Johnson and his wife, Josie, have two children, Violet and Benjamin.
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Johnson, who has more than 20 years of coaching experience, spent the 2025 season at Butler as the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/running backs coach for the Bulldogs. Two players earned All-Pioneer Football League honors, including first-team offensive lineman Charles Mackley. Johnson had three stints overall at Butler, coaching the offensive line in 2018 and the defensive tackles in 2011.
Prior to Butler, Johnson coached for five seasons at his alma mater, Ball State, from 2019-24 as the running game coordinator and offensive line coach. He spent the last two games of the 2024 season as the interim head coach for the Cardinals.
Five players on the offensive line garnered All-MAC honors under Johnson at BSU: Danny Pinter (first team, 2019), Curtis Blackwell (second team, 2020-21; third team, 2019), Ethan Crowe (second team, 2022), Corey Stewart (first team, 2023) and Damon Kaylor (third team, 2023).
Ball State finished the 2020 season ranked No. 23 in the final AP Poll with a 7-1 record after winning the MAC Championship over Buffalo and beating San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl. During Johnson’s first season in Muncie, he mentored Pinter, who earned first-team All-MAC accolades and was selected in the fifth round (No. 149 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Colts.
Johnson coached five seasons (2013-17) at DePauw, primarily working with the offensive line, where he tutored eight all-league players. He also spent one season at Wooster in 2012 following his first stint at Butler in 2011.
Johnson has previous experience in the Big Ten, coaching at Indiana for three seasons (2008-10) as a special team quality control coach and offensive graduate assistant. During his time in Bloomington, he worked with NFL draft picks Rodger Saffold and James Brewer.
Johnson began his coaching career at Warren Central High School and Zionsville High School in the Indianapolis area after serving as an intern at Ball State on the offensive staff in 2003.
A four-year letterwinner at Ball State from 1999-2002, Johnson was a team captain as a senior. During his junior season in 2021, he missed a game with a broken right hand, but returned to start the final eight games after learning how to snap with his left hand.
Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Ball State in 2003. Following his collegiate career, he spent one season playing in the Arena Football League 2 as a member of the Peoria Pirates, starting in 11 games and helping the Pirates to the 2004 Arena Cup.
Johnson and his wife, Josie, have two children, Violet and Benjamin.
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