UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men's rugby has hired Justin Johnson as its assistant coach.
Johnson brings an extensive playing and coaching background to Penn State. He most recently served as assistant coach at Harvard University (2022-24) and was selected to coach at the 2023 USA U-20 winter camp. His coaching experience also includes roles as assistant coach for both Mystic River Rugby Club's D2 15s side and their D1 7s program, which competed at nationals in 2021 and 2022.
As a player, he achieved notable success at Life University (2016-20), where he was a two-time USA Rugby Collegiate All-American in 15s (2018-2019) and earned All-American honors in 7s (2018). He served as defensive leader during three national championship game appearances, winning titles in 2018 and 2019. His collegiate accomplishments led to being selected 6th overall in the Major League Rugby draft.
His professional career includes starting 10 games in his rookie season with the New England Free Jacks, while also serving as captain of Mystic River Rugby Club en route to their 2024 American Rugby Premiership Championship title. His national team experience includes representing the USA U-20s (2017-2018) and earning selection to the USA Selects squad (2021).
Johnson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Computer Information Management from Life University.