By FHSU Sports Information
Photo courtesy FHSU SID
Fort Hays State head baseball coach Steve Johnson announced his resignation Tuesday (May 8) effective at the conclusion of his current contract this summer.
After concluding his eighth year as the skipper at FHSU last week, Johnson now ranks fifth in coaching victories all-time at FHSU (162-228). The Salisbury, Mo. native led the team to three MIAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the championship game in 2012.
Johnson coached 37 All-MIAA performers in his first seven seasons in Hays, including 10 All-Region selections and one All-America honoree. Heading into this season, 105 student-athletes had been listed on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll under his tutelage.
Johnson came to FHSU from Butler (Kan.) Community College, where he was head coach for seven years. While at Butler, Johnson compiled a record of 235-155. He led the program to at least 30 wins in his last six seasons and an NJCAA World Series appearance in 2006. The Grizzlies were co-champions of the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division three times in Johnson’s tenure. He was twice named the Jayhawk Western Division Coach of the Year (2005 and 2007) and was the NJCAA Central District and ABCA Regional Coach of the Year in 2006.
In seven years at Butler, Johnson coached five all-region selections and 34 all-conference selections. Four of his players were selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Six former players went on to play professional baseball. He also had six players earn NJCAA Academic All-American honors.
Prior to becoming the head coach at Butler Community College, Johnson spent eight years as an assistant with three different successful programs. His last two years (2002 and 2003) as an assistant were at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, where he was the pitching coach and chief recruiter. He helped the Indians to the 2002 Southland Conference Championship. He was assistant coach at Barton (Kan.) Community College for four years (1998-2001), helping the Cougars average 30 wins per season in his time with the program. Johnson started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Fort Hays State for two years (1996 and 1997). He helped the Tigers to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship and finish runner-up in the school’s first ever NCAA Division II West Regional appearance. In his eight years as an assistant, he coached 10 pitchers that went on to play professional baseball, with two making it to the Major League level. Combining the three institutions together, Johnson had a record of 262-190 as an assistant coach.
Johnson played collegiate baseball for three years. He played two years at Barton (Kan.) Community College from 1989 to 1990, earning All-KJCCC and All-Region 6 honors. He went on to play one year at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he was named MVP of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. That year, UAB made their first of two NCAA regional appearances in school history. In 1992, Johnson signed with the St. Louis Cardinals organization and played five seasons in professional baseball.
In 2000, Johnson was inducted into the El Dorado (Kan.) Baseball Hall of Fame for his performance with the El Dorado Broncos summer collegiate team during the 1990 and 1991 campaigns.
A nationwide search for the 15th head baseball coach in program history will begin immediately.