Curtis Johnson has been coaching for well over 40 years now. From High School to College up to the pros, he finds himself entering his second season with Houston. In a new league and a new team name, he’ll be looking to bring about a new era in Houston. He’s had a long road filled with championships, major losses, and a lot of player talent.
An Eye for Talent: 1986-2005
Johnson got his first gig as a Wide Receivers coach for Lewiston High School in 1984. After 2 years at the high school level, he would spend the next 17 years coaching at the collegiate level. He had stints with Idaho, San Diego State, SMU, California and Miami. At San Diego, he recruited future Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as well as former Bengals’ wide receiver Darnay Scott. With California, he coached Bobby Shaw to an All-American status. With Miami, he won his first National Championship in 2001. He also coached legendary wideouts Andre Johnson, Santana Moss, and Reggie Wayne. He also is credited with recruiting Hall of Fame Safety Ed Reed.
Moving on Up: 2006-2021
In 2006 he made the jump to the NFL with the New Orleans Saints. With the team, he won Super Bowl XLIV. From 2006-2011 his time his receivers had a combined 131 touchdowns, a 64.03% Catch Percentage, 14.6 yards per reception, and 17,378 receiving yards. He also helped Marques Colston produce five 1000-yard seasons.
In 2012 Johnson received his first head coaching with the Tulane Green Wave. During his tenure, he coached Tulane during their last two seasons in the C-USA and their first two seasons in the AAC. Despite a 15-33 record across his 4 seasons with Tulane, in 2013 he coached the Green Wave to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Tulane’s first bowl game in 11 years. He also coached wideout Ryan Grant to back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2012 and 2013.
After a brief stint with the Chicago Bears in 2016, Curtis found himself back with the New Orleans Saints in 2017 as a Senior Offensive Assistant. In 2021 he added the familiar title of Wide Receivers Coach before stepping away from the league in 2022.
A Home in Houston: 2023-Present
With a new opportunity in his lap, Curtis Johnson became head coach once again, this time for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL. Replacing Kevin Sumlin, who went 3-7 in the inaugural USFL season, Johnson took the Gamblers to a 5-5 record. He led a prolific rushing attack with Offensive Player of the Year Mark Thompson, as well as a solid Rushing Defense.
With Thompson returning for 2024, as well as 2022 DPOY Chris Odem, Johnson has solid pillars on his roster. The team will look to him for his offensive experience as their passing game needs major improvement from their 2023 campaign.
