MADISON, WIS. -- Wisconsin announced the hire of Al Johnson on March 17, and very quickly, the former Badger began to drink from the proverbial firehose in preparation for spring football.
Johnson, a former standout lineman at UW during the early 2000s before a six-year run at the next level, comes back to Madison after a four-year stint as head coach of Division II East Central. Before that, the former center made his first return to the program in a coaching role as a graduate assistant from 2016-17.
Now, Johnson leads UW's running backs, and he spoke with reporters for over 16 minutes on Monday inside the McClain Center. BadgerBlitz.com captured the full session with the media as seen below. Questions and answers are lightly edited for clarity.
What was your first impression when Paul came to you and said 'running backs?'
"The very first impression was a message, and I was driving back from our conference tournament playing athletic director. And so I was driving back from our conference tournament, and I really just kind of put the phone down and I drove a mile or so and thought. This is true. Then I sent it to my wife, and it was 'WTH,' and her message back to me was, 'Dang it.' And that's the truth.
"And really, it's because this is such a great honor, and it really is such a great opportunity, but it was life changing for a lot of people. Our family, East Central, all my players. I choked up and I teared up and I had to leave the meeting, when I told them. I was crying. Because after four years, we built that as our team now, and so I recruited all those guys and I love all those guys, and so it was life changing on a lot of different levels when coaches have to make these decisions.
"But when it came down to it, there was one point in the conversation with our family, with our kids, who are now older and it's changing their lives, and my wife. And there was one point in the conversation, we all just kind of looked at each other and said, 'How do you say no to Wisconsin?' And you can't. The answer's no. And so you can't say no to Wisconsin, and I'm so happy to be here, all in. I look forward to helping the players, and I look forward to helping this team and doing what they're all here to do."
Al, you've been here before as a grad assistant in your career arc, and I'm just curious, at any point, during your growth as a coach, did you envision yourself being back here in any capacity full-time?
"Well, absolutely. I can tell you back about nine years ago, I sold my business. I had a radio station after I retired from the NFL. Sold my business, and I got into coaching, and the only place you ever dreamed up was coaching at Wisconsin. I love Wisconsin, I love Wisconsin football. I love the people that were here, and I told the players this. My goal is to do for them what the people at this institution did for me.
"I would not have accomplished the things I did in my life without the people that were here, and that is the honest truth, and I hope I can have some part of that in their lives. And so when I first got into coaching, I coached at Southern Door (High School) and then I went to St. Norbert, it was always the dream to be standing here and coaching in this group. And so I love this place and I hope I can do what they did for."
How did you end up in the radio station business and what caused you to decide to make such a change in career?
"So I was in Arizona. I was in Arizona playing for the Cardinals, just got hurt and an opportunity presented itself, and I always really as a player enjoyed radio, and I never really want to get into TV. No offense to the TV, and it's mainly because I don't want to put makeup on.
"And so I bought a radio station, ran the radio station and 2008 hit, and you didn't want to be a business owner in 2000 or own a home in Arizona for that matter, if we all remember back to that time. When I finally had to retire with all the injuries, just my knees couldn't take it anymore, I went back, I ran the radio station about four or five years, and it really is a great industry. But I didn't love it. The passion wasn't there for it, and so me and my wife sat down, much like we did to make the decision to come back to Wisconsin, and just said, 'Let's do this. Life is too short.'
"I think a lot of our players, when I was here, and then even in the NFL, you're so focused on how do I get better today and where do I go from there? So I finally got to that point where I can't see myself doing this for the rest of my life, and football is what I love. Football is my passion and really, I really couldn't see myself doing anything else.
What type of radio station?
"Country music, the running backs, not fans, for the most part. So we don't play a lot of country music in in our meetings. But yeah, it was a country music radio station in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin."
You mentioned that when you were on here, people set you on a path to achieve what you have achieved. Who were some of the people if you can remember back, who really influenced you?
"Coach (Barry) Alvarez for one, recruited me, coached me my whole five years while I was here, Coach (Jim) Hueber. Coach Hueber is a man that when I was young, and I can say this, because he knows it's true ... my first second year, I was not a fan because he kept pushing me harder and harder. And then you get older and you realize he was pushing me because, and all of us, because he saw more in us than we saw in ourselves. And now you look back, and so thankful for him. Coach (John) Palermo, who recruited me here, and he was the defensive line coach. Coach (John) Dettman, who was our strength and conditioning coach, and really the whole staff. Brian White, who was our offensive coordinator all my years there, and then just the players and the culture (when) we're here.
"Talking fast forward, my first couple practices here, is you forget the culture. You almost take for granted the culture that is built here within this team, and I almost took it for granted because when I got to East Central, the culture was very bad, and it took us time. It really took us two years to build the culture that was already here, that I was leaving as a GA, and now coming back to.
"And the culture is already here of the players driven, working to hold each other accountable, things like that, that was really makes the biggest difference that -- I think on the outside in or even inside of it -- you just live it every day and you take those things for granted. It's not like that everywhere. The culture of winning and the culture of hard work and what that does for you, and not only as a football team, but where it'll carry you in life lessons long after you leave here."
With a guy like Braelon Allen, does it make your job easier in terms of somebody that can maybe make you look good? Or is it a challenge to try and find ways to help a guy like that get better when you don't have an extensive background in coaching that position?
"I think that it's a great question, and it's both. It really just depends on what aspect of playing running back we're talking about. Is it just being the player, the athleticism, things like that? Or is it on the things that maybe he doesn't have an extensive background in and some of that with route running and things of that nature?
"There's moments where you feel like, 'Yeah, I can really help him with that.' And then there's moments where it feels like dad let you take the Lamborghini out, and you don't want us crash that baby. So there's all kinds of things, but at the end of the day, the best part of working with him is the fact that he always wants to be great. He wants to push himself, he wants to get better. He wants to find the things that can keep moving him forward and keep elevating his game."
Al, you've been an offensive coordinator and a head coach. You've obviously been around running backs quite a bit. What do you think has been the biggest challenges in specifically coaching this position at this high of a level? Are there things you feel like you're trying to learn right now?
"I think in general trying to learn everything as the offense is kind of blending with Coach (Bobby) Engram and the same offense here and with Coach (Bob) Bostad back at the running game, trying to learn it all together. So there's certain things that we are doing that is the same, and then there's new things as well, and just trying to make sure that it is all working together.
"The best offenses, the best defenses, everyone does their job and understands why they're doing their job. And so for the most part, it's really just making sure that our piece, the running back piece, is fitted into it and then letting them play. Let them be the athletes that they are, but understanding how it all fits together."
With Chez, is there any sort of timetable or when y'all hope, expect maybe to have him back?
"We get daily reports, and he is progressing well. There are signs that it's coming along well, and so we're hopeful that it'll be here before too long. But the exact date, sometimes you just don't know as you progress through on that. But from everything I've heard it's on its normal schedule."
Julius (Davis) is a guy who might be getting some more reps with a couple guys injured. What are your impressions of him so far?
"He was always, 'Yes, sir. No, sir,' so far. Asking questions, being into it, and really just trying to hit home on him and all of them -- it's about consistency, and about the details in every rep and trying to get them to slow the game down as much like I am. Trying to slow what the running backs have to do on every play, and so it all just becomes second nature. A lot like tying your shoes, and so he's done a great job. (I) really look forward to keep on coaching him."
What kind of a learning curve is there for you, as it's been mentioned a couple of times, coaching a new position coming from your playing career as an offensive lineman, and then on to offensive coordinator and head coach?
"It's not as big as you would think because I was offensive coordinator, even my four years as head coach. And so you do a lot of things as offensive coordinator, it involves everyone. You have to see the whole picture and how it all fits in. A lot of it is just making sure that the new plays since I was here last, and how their role fits into that play.
"And there's just examples, run game wise. Where their eyes where we expect him to break and things like that? How is the offensive line blocking that play? In the pass protection, there's a certain tag where we don't have our normal check down, and so just making sure I learn all those, and they've been great, because they were all offseason working on a lot of that stuff.
"Then as we put in new plays, it's really we're all on the same page, and we're all working together. So the overall, I would say it's not nearly as big as what people probably want to think it is."
What do you see Jackson Acker being? Played running back but can potentially play fullback as well for you.
"He's been great. He really has. I think he's a guy that can do it all, and I know from experience just even at a lot of players, once they get here and they start full offseason, full working, they start to get bigger and he is explosive enough. I believe he can help us in many, many different ways, and so right now he's in our room and he's learning the halfback plays and the routes and all that, but he's also learning fullback.
"So I think he's a guy that can probably have a chance if he keeps growing and doing that sort of thing, to be able to help us in multiple different areas, a lot like Alec Ingold did. There was a lot of games where Alec early in his career was the premier halfback, and I see him that he could do that same thing if things keep progressing that way."
Have you had any dialogue with Gary Brown since you've taken over the job? Or did he have any message for you?
"I have not. You know, I've heard many, many great things about him, but I think the situation being the way that it is, there just hasn't been that opportunity. But I do hope in the near future that will happen. We've had to hit the ground running. I showed up on Thursday for my first day, and we started on Monday morning, and so there hasn't been a lot of time to breathe."
With how quickly you had to start, just how have you tried to add in time to get to know your players outside of just practice and meetings? Have you done anything different maybe from your past?
"That's always the hard thing because of the situation that we're coming into, the lack of time. And really, in the first meeting, I told them that I really am built on relationships, and I want to be here to help them. I wish we had more time to get to know each other before we get right into practice. But the one thing I did say is in June and July, we can't practice, but we can definitely get to know each other better.
"So I think right now is we're trying to stay focused on what we can control today, and we don't want to miss an opportunity to get better at practice in spite of something else. So I think the little things and for me, the big thing is just to be genuine, and to be me and to be real, and a lot of the best relationships come over time anyways."
When you first got here, how did you try to crash course of getting to know what you had to work with? Because I know you don't have all your tailbacks now, but did you have study some film?
"There was lots of film, had some meetings with coach (Paul) Chryst. Had some meetings with coach Engram, and had some meeting with the players. And they were usually pretty quick, hour or less, and then we had to get on to the next meeting. And same with getting caught up on recruiting and the future, and recruiting never ends. And so all those things is just kind of understanding.
"What really did help was being here four years ago, and so I had a general idea. And then a lot of it was just the little nuances for each play that have changed."
In terms of the players though, what you've got to work with now, like Braelon and the guys who are healthy to get an understanding of what you got?
"Let's not forget, I was in Oklahoma, not Siberia. I watched a lot of games, and so I know who we had, in a sense. And so I still was always a Badger fan, so obviously I knew Braelon. Wasn't fully sure on (Brady) Schipper and on the injuries there and even the extent of like Isaac's and if he would be practicing, and so I kind of got a crash course on that.
"I watched a lot of film just to have an idea, but a lot of it too is some of this is new for them, right? We have a new run game with coach Bostad and Bobby Engram and things like that, so it's really just kind of melting it all together and working with who we have."
Just a logistical question. Have you had a chance to move here yet? Where are you living?
"No. I got in the car. I am living -- well I don't want to tell you the address -- but I'm living out at an Extended Stay with a kitchenette. I cannot, at my age, eat out for a month-and a-half straight. That would not be good, and so I got a place with a kitchenette.
"My family will probably move in the next couple months once my kids are done with school, and if anybody hasn't noticed the housing market is not great right now. So finding a house is not always easy around here."
Even though it hasn't been incredibly glamorous, was there a moment when you moved here and it kind of hit you like, 'I'm returning back to Madison in a coaching capacity?'
"In full disclosure, there's a lot of different emotions I kind of go through in a day, and it's because this is home. This is my first love. This is the place that for me, if someone asked what was the most important time in your life, I would say my time as a Badger. Because of the lessons it taught me. I didn't know it at the time, but it would be my time here.
"But then also I'm going back to a world that's a little uncomfortable right now, because I came into it, not fully knowing the offense and everything. Left a world where I was athletic director and having to deal with everyone's problems, and head coach and coaching the offense and doing all that. So it's kind of one of those things where you don't have a lot of time, because it's right on to the next meeting. And so I think really for me, it's just I'm excited to keep progressing in spring, and keep focused on what I can do to help our running backs move forward, and trying to slow everything down for them. Then we can broaden out from there.
What do you think you have with Chez and Isaac? I know it's really difficult probably to know, but both of them were in the rotation. Chez was a starter last year. Do you have a sense of when they're healthy what they'll add?
"I think a lot of it is, and this goes in general for whoever, whenever someone comes back for injuries, it's how fast can we get them back to the player we remember? And so from there, I think the depth will be really good.
"But a lot of that to then is just reps. There's a reason why we have so many practice reps. There's a reason why because it takes time to get back into the full flow. So a lot of it'll be how fast can we get them back there, and if that does happen for all of them, that running back room, it'll be very dangerous, and they'll have a lot of depth and a lot of experience."
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