From NYU Athletics
Brad Johnson, who led the New York University to the 2019 NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championship title, has returned as head coach of both the men's and women's programs.
Johnson, who originally served as the head coach of both programs from 2016-21, led the women's team to three NCAA Championship appearances and guided the men to a pair in his first three years at the helm. The 2020 NCAA Championships were canceled due to Covid-19 and NYU did not compete at all in 2020-21.
"I'm extremely excited to return to NYU and coach both teams again," Johnson said. "I hope to pick up where I left off and continue to lead the Violets to national prominence. The teams have been really good since I left, and I see no reason that that trend won't continue."
The Violets were ranked among the top teams in the nation prior to the 2019 NCAA Championship. Despite entering the final round in second place eight strokes off the lead, NYU shot a tournament-record-tying 294 and edged out Williams College to capture the first-ever national title in the history of NYU's women's golf program.
Johnson's team won six tournaments during that 2018-19 season, including both the University Athletic Association (UAA) and Liberty League titles for the fourth- and fifth-straight years, respectively, as NYU earned UAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors. The men's team also had an outstanding season in '18-19, winning its second consecutive Liberty League Championship and finishing 27th nationally. During the season, the Violets captured the St. Lawrence Invitational, placed second at the NYU Spring Invite and posted three third-place tournament finishes.
Johnson, along with his assistants Todd Kolean and Eric Tarakjian, were named both UAA and Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year that season. Joseph Burlison was a breakout performer, earning Liberty League Co-Rookie of the Year and First Team honors while also being named to the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-Freshman Team and Division III Ping All-Northeast Region. Robbie Keyes was also named Division III Ping All-Northeast Region and freshman Chris Lee received First Team All-Liberty League honors.
After Johnson left NYU, he went on to become the head coach of the men's and women's teams at LaVerne University (2021-22) and Lewis and Clark College (2022-23). Most recently, he served as the women's coach at Division I Hofstra University during the 2023 spring season and led the Pride to a victory at the Long Island Cup.
Prior to becoming head coach of the Violets, Johnson served as an assistant for both teams during the 2012-13 season.
In between his stints at NYU, Johnson was the head coach of the men's and women's golf teams at Millsaps College. During his tenure with the Majors, Johnson helped the men's team to its highest-ever national ranking (#23) and to a championship at the Pinnacle Trust Open. He also led the women's squad to its first-ever tournament victory, the Hiwassee Fall Invitational.
A 1996 graduate of the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and a minor in English, Johnson was a three-year member of the men's golf team after transferring from Colorado State University. He received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in July 2009.
Johnson also has extensive experience as a golf professional, including at courses such as Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, CA; Riviera Country Club in Palisades, CA; and TPC of Scottsdale in Scottsdale, AZ.
A member of the PGA since 2005, Johnson is a native of Colorado Springs, CO, and resides in the Bronx, NY.