Kendall Rogers, longtime college baseball analyst at D1 Baseball suggested that the winningest coach in the SWAC be in the running to be the next head coach at Memphis.
Johnson, who has been the head coach at Jackson State since 2007 and won 538 games overall, is thought by Rogers to be a good candidate to replace Kerrick Jackson, a one-time Southern coach, who was hired by Missouri. This move was historic, making him the first Black head coach to lead an SEC program.
Johnson has won two SWAC tournament championships (2013, 2014) and was named SWAC Coach of the Year in 2021 after leading the Tigers to an undefeated conference season.
If I am @MemphisBaseball, I'm taking a very hard look at Georgetown associate head coach Julius McDougal and Jackson State head coach Omar Johnson as the next head man. McDougal is a rising assistant and Omar has done a terrific job at JSU. #Memphis
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) June 4, 2023
Before his time at Jackson State, Johnson served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, North Alabama from 1997-2000.
In 1999, he helped lead the team to their first-ever College World Series, advancing past the first round.
Johnson also has experience coaching baseball on the International stage, heading the German national team in the World Baseball Challenge, World Cup, and European baseball championships.