The University of Minnesota Morris announced Matthew Johnson '03 as the director of intercollegiate athletics on Jan. 7, 2020. Johnson had been serving as interim director since August 2018 after holding coaching, assistant AD, and associate AD roles at UMN Morris.
Under his leadership during the 2018-19 school year, 84 student-athletes were named academic all-conference––recording GPAs of 3.5 or higher, 61 student-athletes were named all-conference, and two Cougar teams won conference titles.
In an abbreviated 2019-20 competition season, Johnson oversaw a department with 111 academic all-conference honorees, 37 all-conference nods, a regular season title for the volleyball program, two UMAC Rookie of the Year awards, and both a conference champion and the UMAC Coach of the Year in women's cross country.
Navigating the Minnesota Morris athletic department through a year unlike any other in the history of collegiate athletics, Johnson helped the Cougars successfully complete 17Â athletic seasons in a span of time from January to May of 2021. Two UMAC titles were won by the UMN Morris women's track & field program, a total of 53 student-athletes earned All-UMAC honors, and 145 were named Academic All-UMAC.
Minnesota Morris athletics continued to thrive in 2021-22 as the Cougars were in the running for the Jerome Kruse All-Sport Trophy from the UMAC, ultimately finishing in fourth place in the competition. With all 19 teams back in action over the course of the academic year, UMN Morris finished with 90 All-UMAC honorees and 158 who were named Academic All-UMAC.
The 2022-23 academic year saw Minnesota Morris finish third in the Jerome Kruse All-Sport standings in the UMAC. The Cougar women's golf team won their first UMAC title since 2010 and subsequently made its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III Championships. All told, Minnesota Morris finished the year with 77 all-conference and 153 Academic All-UMAC honorees.
In the 2023-24 year, Minnesota Morris claimed UMAC titles and postseason bids in football and women's basketball, while also tying for the regular season title in softball. The year also saw the introduction of the newest Cougar sport offering -- men's swimming & diving. At the conclusion of the season, Minnesota Morris had earned 72 all-conference and 146 Academic All-UMAC honors.
Johnson has been active in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, NCAA national conventions, and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. Prior to being named interim director of athletics, Johnson served as an assistant and associate athletic director for seven years. He has been the Sports Studies and Athletics academic discipline coordinator since 2012. Johnson held a variety of coaching roles with the Cougar football program for 15 seasons, including serving as offensive coordinator and co-head coach.
As a Cougar student-athlete, Johnson was a four-year starter (2000-03) and two-year captain (2002-03) for the football program, starting all 44 games he played on the offensive line. He was recognized in 2004 as the UMN Morris men’s honor athlete.
Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in social science with a minor in history and coaching certification from the University of Minnesota Morris. He holds a master's in education from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a focus on educational administration.
Johnson and his wife Abbey (Starzecki), a former Cougar soccer student-athlete, have two children, Cooper and Crosby.
