Eastern Michigan Athletics
Taver Johnson Named EMU Football Assistant Coach
5/24/2022 10:00:00 AM | Football
A 28-year coaching veteran, Johnson will serve as Eastern’s safeties coach
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Taver Johnson, an assistant with the Las Vegas Raiders for the past three seasons, has been named an assistant football coach at Eastern Michigan University, Head Coach Chris Creighton announced today, May 24. A veteran coach with more than 28 years of experience, Johnson will serve as EMU's defensive pass game coordinator and safeties coach. He fills the spot previously held by Fred Reed, who passed away May 8.
"This continues to be a very difficult time both personally and professionally," said Creighton. "I have never been through this before with a coach and family on our staff, and I pray I never do it again. It is good to be together during the grieving process and I know celebrating his life on June 15 will be another much-needed time together with family and friends. Sprinkled in with the sadness and pain have been some glimpses of light. The fact that Fred's children (Amar'e and Khamara) are coming to Eastern Michigan this fall is definitely a bright light."
"The college football community has been another source of light with the love and support they have shown," continued Creighton. "Thinking about the need to find a new coach has felt wrong, uncomfortable, and seemingly impossible. Thankfully, through the natural course of coaches who knew Fred reaching out to offer their condolences, we found the right fit. We thought it would be ideal if we could find a candidate who knew Fred, and had significant relevant coaching experience along with the maturity, sensitivity, and emotional intelligence to be able to come into this very complicated situation. Coach Johnson is this person and he really wants to be here. He will join us in honoring Coach Reed, as we give everything we have to make this program and this team the very best it can be both on and off the field."
Johnson has recorded stints at nearly every level of football, spending nine seasons in the Big Ten Conference (Ohio State/Purdue), six in the Mid-American Conference (Miami), five in Division III (Wittenberg/Milliken), four in the NFL (Cleveland/Las Vegas), two in the Southeastern Conference (Arkansas), one in the American Athletic Conference (Temple), and another at a Football Bowl Subdivision Independent (Notre Dame).
Most recently, Johnson completed a three-year stint at the professional level with the Las Vegas Raiders. Hired by Jon Gruden in 2019, he was their assistant defensive backs coach. In 2021, he was moved to become an offensive assistant working with the running backs.
He joined Urban Meyer's staff at Ohio State University for the 2018 campaign after a stop in Philadelphia as Temple's defensive coordinator/safeties coach.
In 2017, Johnson led a defense that was first in the American and 11th in the NCAA with 39 sacks at Temple. The unit also was second in the conference and 11th nationally in tackles-for-loss with 102. Both of his starting safeties, senior Sean Chandler and junior Delvon Randall, earned all-conference honors. They accounted for seven of the Owls' 11 interceptions and finished second and third on the team in tackles.
The Cincinnati, Ohio native spent three years (2014-16) as Purdue's defensive backs coach. He mentored a talented group that saw a defensive back finish first on the team in tackles during his first two seasons - safeties Landon Feichter with 105 in 2014 and Leroy Clark with 88 in 2015. Overall, the Boilermakers intercepted 10-or-more passes each year from 2014-16.
Johnson coached at Arkansas for two years, first as the Razorbacks linebackers coach in 2012 and then as defensive backs coach in 2013. He also served as interim head coach for Arkansas in the spring of 2012.
Before crossing state borders, the Ohio native coached 13 years in his home state. From 2007-11 he was the defensive backs coach at Ohio State under former head coach Jim Tressel. During Johnson's tenure, Ohio State landed nine Big Ten All-Academic DBs, four first-team All-Big Ten DBs, and two consensus All-American DBs in Malcolm Jenkins (2008) and Chimdi Chekwa (2010). Five players from Johnson's secondary, including Jenkins, went on to be drafted into the NFL.
Under Johnson's leadership, Jenkins accumulated 57 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, nine pass breakups, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and two blocked kicks during his All-American campaign. He also earned the Jim Thorpe Award in 2008 while earning first-team All-Big 10 honors in 2007 and 2008.
Prior to Ohio State, Johnson spent six seasons at Miami (Ohio) University, where he started as the RedHawks' linebackers coach from 2000-03 before being promoted to assistant head coach/defensive coordinator two seasons later (2005-06). In his first three years, he built a championship defense, which eventually climbed to the 35th total defense, 22nd scoring defense, and the 19th rushing defense in 2003. In 2005, the unit was fifth in the nation in turnover margin.
During that 2003 season, the team went undefeated in conference play and maintained a 13-1 overall record. After a 21-3 loss at Iowa, the RedHawks began a 13-game winning streak that began with a 44-14 dismantling of Northwestern and concluded with a MAC Championship and a 48-29 victory over Louisville in the GMAC Bowl. Under Johnson's guidance, three linebackers propelled to first-team All-MAC status during his first four years with Miami.
Among his stops, he spent the 2004 season in the NFL as the Cleveland Browns' special teams coach and the 1999 season as a defensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame.
Before making his way to Notre Dame, Johnson coached at DIII Millikin, taking on three roles as linebackers coach (1996-98), strength and conditioning coach (1996), and defensive coordinator (1998).
In 1998, Johnson tutored four all-conference players - LB Bob Meyer (1st), DT Carlos Burns (1st), Servera Gilbert (1st), and DB Tony Frierdich (2nd) - to turn the unit into the second-best defense in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, and first in scoring defense. This helped lead the team to an 8-2 record and an NCAA playoff berth. The Big Blue eventually fell in the first round to Johnson's alma mater, Wittenberg, 13-10.
The Cincinnati native remained at home for college, attending Division III Wittenberg, where he graduated with a degree in Business administration. On the field, the four-year letterman was dominant, leading the team in tackles in three of his four seasons.
His success led to back-to-back AP Little All-America and All-North Coast Atlantic Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1992 and 1993, while the Tigers went a combined 17-2-1 during his junior and senior seasons. He finished third in school history with 209 solo tackles and fourth in total tackles with 368.
For his efforts, he was inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Honor in 2004.
Johnson and his wife Sharday have a son, Tyree, and a daughter, Brooklynn.
"This continues to be a very difficult time both personally and professionally," said Creighton. "I have never been through this before with a coach and family on our staff, and I pray I never do it again. It is good to be together during the grieving process and I know celebrating his life on June 15 will be another much-needed time together with family and friends. Sprinkled in with the sadness and pain have been some glimpses of light. The fact that Fred's children (Amar'e and Khamara) are coming to Eastern Michigan this fall is definitely a bright light."
"The college football community has been another source of light with the love and support they have shown," continued Creighton. "Thinking about the need to find a new coach has felt wrong, uncomfortable, and seemingly impossible. Thankfully, through the natural course of coaches who knew Fred reaching out to offer their condolences, we found the right fit. We thought it would be ideal if we could find a candidate who knew Fred, and had significant relevant coaching experience along with the maturity, sensitivity, and emotional intelligence to be able to come into this very complicated situation. Coach Johnson is this person and he really wants to be here. He will join us in honoring Coach Reed, as we give everything we have to make this program and this team the very best it can be both on and off the field."
Johnson has recorded stints at nearly every level of football, spending nine seasons in the Big Ten Conference (Ohio State/Purdue), six in the Mid-American Conference (Miami), five in Division III (Wittenberg/Milliken), four in the NFL (Cleveland/Las Vegas), two in the Southeastern Conference (Arkansas), one in the American Athletic Conference (Temple), and another at a Football Bowl Subdivision Independent (Notre Dame).
Most recently, Johnson completed a three-year stint at the professional level with the Las Vegas Raiders. Hired by Jon Gruden in 2019, he was their assistant defensive backs coach. In 2021, he was moved to become an offensive assistant working with the running backs.
He joined Urban Meyer's staff at Ohio State University for the 2018 campaign after a stop in Philadelphia as Temple's defensive coordinator/safeties coach.
In 2017, Johnson led a defense that was first in the American and 11th in the NCAA with 39 sacks at Temple. The unit also was second in the conference and 11th nationally in tackles-for-loss with 102. Both of his starting safeties, senior Sean Chandler and junior Delvon Randall, earned all-conference honors. They accounted for seven of the Owls' 11 interceptions and finished second and third on the team in tackles.
The Cincinnati, Ohio native spent three years (2014-16) as Purdue's defensive backs coach. He mentored a talented group that saw a defensive back finish first on the team in tackles during his first two seasons - safeties Landon Feichter with 105 in 2014 and Leroy Clark with 88 in 2015. Overall, the Boilermakers intercepted 10-or-more passes each year from 2014-16.
Johnson coached at Arkansas for two years, first as the Razorbacks linebackers coach in 2012 and then as defensive backs coach in 2013. He also served as interim head coach for Arkansas in the spring of 2012.
Before crossing state borders, the Ohio native coached 13 years in his home state. From 2007-11 he was the defensive backs coach at Ohio State under former head coach Jim Tressel. During Johnson's tenure, Ohio State landed nine Big Ten All-Academic DBs, four first-team All-Big Ten DBs, and two consensus All-American DBs in Malcolm Jenkins (2008) and Chimdi Chekwa (2010). Five players from Johnson's secondary, including Jenkins, went on to be drafted into the NFL.
Under Johnson's leadership, Jenkins accumulated 57 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, nine pass breakups, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and two blocked kicks during his All-American campaign. He also earned the Jim Thorpe Award in 2008 while earning first-team All-Big 10 honors in 2007 and 2008.
Prior to Ohio State, Johnson spent six seasons at Miami (Ohio) University, where he started as the RedHawks' linebackers coach from 2000-03 before being promoted to assistant head coach/defensive coordinator two seasons later (2005-06). In his first three years, he built a championship defense, which eventually climbed to the 35th total defense, 22nd scoring defense, and the 19th rushing defense in 2003. In 2005, the unit was fifth in the nation in turnover margin.
During that 2003 season, the team went undefeated in conference play and maintained a 13-1 overall record. After a 21-3 loss at Iowa, the RedHawks began a 13-game winning streak that began with a 44-14 dismantling of Northwestern and concluded with a MAC Championship and a 48-29 victory over Louisville in the GMAC Bowl. Under Johnson's guidance, three linebackers propelled to first-team All-MAC status during his first four years with Miami.
Among his stops, he spent the 2004 season in the NFL as the Cleveland Browns' special teams coach and the 1999 season as a defensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame.
Before making his way to Notre Dame, Johnson coached at DIII Millikin, taking on three roles as linebackers coach (1996-98), strength and conditioning coach (1996), and defensive coordinator (1998).
In 1998, Johnson tutored four all-conference players - LB Bob Meyer (1st), DT Carlos Burns (1st), Servera Gilbert (1st), and DB Tony Frierdich (2nd) - to turn the unit into the second-best defense in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, and first in scoring defense. This helped lead the team to an 8-2 record and an NCAA playoff berth. The Big Blue eventually fell in the first round to Johnson's alma mater, Wittenberg, 13-10.
The Cincinnati native remained at home for college, attending Division III Wittenberg, where he graduated with a degree in Business administration. On the field, the four-year letterman was dominant, leading the team in tackles in three of his four seasons.
His success led to back-to-back AP Little All-America and All-North Coast Atlantic Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1992 and 1993, while the Tigers went a combined 17-2-1 during his junior and senior seasons. He finished third in school history with 209 solo tackles and fourth in total tackles with 368.
For his efforts, he was inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Honor in 2004.
Johnson and his wife Sharday have a son, Tyree, and a daughter, Brooklynn.
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