REPORT: Wyoming Hiring Jay Johnson as Next Offensive Coordinator

LARAMIE -- Jay Sawvel said he planned to have an offensive coordinator hired by the weekend.

Mission accomplished.

Jay Johnson, who spent the previous four seasons as play caller and quarterbacks coach at Michigan State, will reportedly lead Wyoming's offense, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

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Sawvel and Johnson were on the same staff at Minnesota in 2016.

Johnson, 54, will replace Tim Polasek, who accepted the head coaching position at North Dakota State last month after spending the previous three seasons in Laramie.

In 2021, Johnson was a finalist for the Broyles Award, which is given to the nation's top assistant. MSU's offense averaged 31.8 points per game that season to go along with 429.3 yards per outing. The Spartans, who ranked third in the Big Ten in overall offense, threw for 3,298 yards and added 2,283 more on the ground.

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Kenneth Walker III, who is currently a member of the Seattle Seahawks, became the first MSU running back to win the Walter Camp National Player of the Year and the Doak Walker Award. He ranked second in the FBS and first in the Power 5 with 1,636 rushing yards.

As a member of Mel Tucker's staff, Johnson spent two seasons as an offensive analyst at Georgia (2017-18) and one year as the offensive coordinator at Colorado (2019) before heading to East Lansing.

Sawvel is still in search of a safeties coach, a spot he vacated after accepting the head coaching job in Laramie.

THE JAY JOHNSON FILE (Courtesy of msuspartans.com)

FAMILY: Wife, Lori, and son, Cole.

YEARS AT MICHIGAN STATE: Fourth. Joined staff on Feb. 20, 2020, from Colorado.

PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE: Assistant coach at Hickman High School (Columbia, Mo.) (1993); Graduate assistant on offense at Missouri (spring only, 1994); Offensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator at Augsburg (Minn.) College (1994); Offensive coordinator at Truman State (1995-96); Graduate assistant on offense at Kansas (1997-98); Quarterbacks coach at Kansas (1999-2000); Running backs coach at Kansas (2001); Running backs coach at Southern Mississippi (2003); Tight ends coach at Southern Mississippi (2004); Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Southern Mississippi (2005-07); Quality control/offense at Louisville (2008); Tight ends coach at Louisville (2009); Quarterbacks coach at Central Michigan (2010); Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Louisiana (2011-15); Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Minnesota (2016); Quality control/offense at Georgia (2017-18); Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Colorado (2019).

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in science (minor in coaching) from Northern Iowa in 1992; Master’s degree in exercise sciences with an emphasis in exercise physiology from Missouri.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE: College – Four-year letterwinner as a quarterback at Northern Iowa (1989-92).

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Player – Three Division I-AA playoff appearances (1990-92). Coach – 2003 Liberty Bowl, 2004 New Orleans Bowl, 2005 New Orleans Bowl, 2006 GMAC Bowl, 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl, 2011 New Orleans Bowl, 2012 New Orleans Bowl, 2013 New Orleans Bowl, 2014 New Orleans Bowl, 2016 Holiday Bowl, 2018 Rose/CFP Semifinal, 2018 CFP National Championship, 2021 Peach Bowl.

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players