Johnson was the pitching coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team from 2002 to 2012.[6] In 2010, he was named the ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year.[7] In 2012, he left Vanderbilt to be the minor league pitching coordinator for the Chicago Cubs.[8] Prior to the 2016 season, the Milwaukee Brewers hired Johnson to be their pitching coach.[9][10] After the 2018 season he quit the job with the Brewers to take on the same position with the Cincinnati Reds.[11]Baseball America named Johnson the major league coach of the year in 2019.[12] After the 2021 season, the Reds promoted Johnson to director of pitching, in addition to his duties as the major league pitching coach, and signed him to a contract extension.[13]
Personal life
Johnson and his wife, Tasha, have two children, Teague and Taite. They live in Nashville, Tennessee, during the offseason.[14]