University of Findlay tabs Johns as new head football coach

The University of Findlay looked into the past to find the man who will lead its football program in the future with Friday's announcement that Tyler Johns, who was an all-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) lineman for the Oilers in 2012, would be the school's new head coach."I would like to sincerely thank (President) Dr. Katherine Fell, (Vice President) Mrs. Brandi Laurita, and especially (Director of Athletics) Jim Givens for the opportunity to lead the University of Findlay football program" Johns said in a note released by the University on Friday."The University of Findlay is home, and it has been instrumental in shaping who I am as a leader, educator, and mentor. I am incredibly excited to once again wear the Orange and Black and to invest in our Oilers, past, present, and future."Johns played four years at UF (2009-2012) and first got into coaching as an assistant offensive line coach at Iowa Western Community College. He then transitioned to the University of Illinois where he was a graduate assistant for two years. A number of linemen he worked with at Illinois went on to careers in the NFL.In 2017, Johns became the Offensive Line Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus. Two years later he moved on to Tiffin University, starting out as Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach, but eventually becoming Offensive Coordinator for a program that won three G-MAC titles and went to the NCAA Division II Playoffs twice in five seasons.For the past two seasons, Johns has been the Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. Johns had recently been named interim head coach of that program when Runnin' Bulldogs head coach Cris Reisert announced he was leaving to join the staff of new University of Toledo head coach Jim Jacobs.Ironically, the UF head coaching position opened up when Kory Allen, who had been with the Oilers program for 20 years, including the last four as head coach, also resigned to take a position at UT, where he will be associate head coach and tight end coach on Jacobs' staff.In Friday's press release, Givens said that "We are excited to welcome back to Findlay Coach Tyler Johns and his family. From the beginning of this process, it was clear that Tyler carried all the attributes that we desire in a head football coach here at Findlay. He has a proven track record of developing student-athletes to be their best on and off the field and possesses a high-level knowledge of the game that makes him exactly what we require in a head coach."As an alumni of our university and former coach within our league, he also has an understanding and passion for the history and tradition of Findlay football that we believe will this a seamless transition."Johns will be officially introduced as Findlay's head football coach in the Gardner Football Complex on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 2:00 pm.