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Chris Johnson
 Head Women's Coach

Chris Johnson became the head coach of the women’s program on July 1, 2023 in his 13th season with the University of Arkansas. Johnson returned to Fayetteville prior to the 2012 season after eight seasons as an assistant coach with Penn State.

Johnson has been named the National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year five times, earning the accolade twice in 2023, and has totaled 15 region coaching honors, six with Penn State and nine with Arkansas, including a pair of honors in 2023 for the indoor and outdoor seasons.

A record breaking 2023 season included an indoor world record in the 4 x 400m relay (3:21.75), an American and collegiate indoor record by Britton Wilson in the 400m (49.48), along with an indoor 600m collegiate record as well as Wilson breaking the outdoor 400m collegiate record three times (49.51, 49.40, 49.13).

In the hurdles, Ackera Nugent swept the NCAA 60m hurdles and NCAA 100m hurdles titles, breaking the collegiate record indoors (7.72) and producing the fastest collegiate all-conditions 100m hurdles (12.25w).

Nugent and Wilson were named among the 10 semifinalists for The Bowerman in 2023, with Wilson becoming one of the three finalists.

Razorback sprinters scored all 46 points in placing third at the NCAA Outdoor. Three finalists in the 400m totaled 19 points off a 2-3-4 finish from Wilson (49.64), Nickisha Pryce (50.23), and Rosey Effiong (50.77). It marked only the fourth time for one school to have three finalists in the 400m final.

Indoors, the Razorbacks advanced three to the final and scored 18 points off a 1-4-6 finish from Wilson (49.48), Effiong (50.54), and Amber Anning (51.22). In winning the relay with a time of 3:21.75 that bettered the outdoor collegiate record set in 2022, all four Razorbacks produced the fastest collegiate split ever on their respective legs – Anning (51.47), Joanne Reid (50.52), Effiong (50.57), and Wilson (49.19), who ran a world-best relay split.

During the 2023 summer, five Razorbacks advanced to the 400m finals in three separate national championships, with each earning a spot in the 400m or relay pool for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Pryce claimed the Jamaican title in a career best 50.21, Wilson finished as silver medalist in US Championships in 49.79, Anning placed fourth in the British Champs with an outdoor career best of 51.62, Effiong placed fifth in the US Champs, and Reid finished seventh in Jamaica.

In earning the 2021 NCAA Women’s Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year honor, the event groups coached by Johnson scored in seven events at the NCAA Indoor Championships and totaled 30 points. Three Arkansas school records were established during the national meet in the 60m, 800m, and 4×400 relay.

The 2022 campaign featured an indoor collegiate record in the 4 x 400 relay as the Razorbacks won the SEC Indoor title in 3:24.09, with Britton Wilson supplying an anchor leg of 49.83 seconds, the second fastest world indoor split all-time. In winning the NCAA Indoor 4 x 400 relay, the Razorbacks posted a time of 3:27.23 and Arkansas became the first school to win the 4 x 400 and distance medley relay at the same NCAA Indoor Championships.

Serving as the world leading time for the 2022 indoor season, the 3:24.09 even surpassed the outdoor record for the Razorbacks at that time.

During the 2022 outdoor season Wilson represented the Razorbacks on a world stage, earning a gold medal at the World Championships as a member of the United States 4 x 400 relay. Running third leg, supplying a split of 49.39, Wilson increased the advantage the U.S. had established. The winning time of 3:17.79 was the world leading mark for 2022. Wilson also competed in the 400m hurdles, placing fifth in the final from lane 1.

Wilson won the NCAA Championships in the 400m hurdles after claiming a very rare SEC double in the 400m and 400m hurdles, in which she became the first female to accomplish in the SEC. Wilson set then career best times and Arkansas school records of 50.05 and 53.75. Her time in the 400m hurdles would be improved to 53.08 as a silver medalist in the USATF Championships.

Arkansas improved the outdoor school record in the 4 x 400 relay with a 3:22.55, third best on all-time collegiate list, in finishing third in the SEC Championships. Wilson anchored in the fastest collegiate time ever at 48.60. The Razorbacks also finished third in the NCAA Championships with a 3:23.69 performance as Wilson anchored in 49.55, the fifth best split in NCAA history.

The 2019 season featured nothing short of greatness as Johnson’s athletes combined for 25 first-team All-America performances throughout the indoor/outdoor seasons. Johnson coached Janeek Brown to an NCAA Championship in the 100-meter hurdles where the sophomore posted the second-fastest time in NCAA history crossing the line in 12.40 missing out on the record by one one-hundredth of a second. Johnson also helped coach Brown to a world best performance as the Kingston, Jamaica, native broke the single-day 100m hurdle/200m total with a total time of 34.80 to better the mark set by Jackie Joyner-Kersee in her 1988 Olympic season.

In 2018, Johnson led Taliyah Brooks to the NCAA title in the pentathlon as she totaled over 4,500 points along the way. Brooks performance at the NCAA meet led to her earning USTFCCCA honors as she was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Year. Payton Chadwick was Johnson’s second National Champion at the indoor meet as she ran her way to the NCAA title in the 60-meter hurdles in a school-record time of 7.93 seconds. During that season Johnson also led his athletes to five program record performances – 60-meter hurdles, 100-meters, 100-meter hurdles, 4-x-400-meter relay, and long jump.

At the SEC meet, Johnson’s event groups were responsible for 36 of Arkansas’ points at the 2018 indoor meet, pushing the Razorbacks to their 12th-consecutive conference victory across cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field.

Johnson claimed his 10th USTFCCCA Assistant Coach of the Year award following the Razorbacks’ performance at the SEC Championships where his athletes went 1-2-3-4 in the heptathlon by Taliyah Brooks, Payton Stumbaugh, Leigha Brown, and Kelsey Herman, to add 29 points to Arkansas’ total and vault to a top-4 national ranking. All four athletes set personal records during that event, while Brooks set an Arkansas record with 6,099 points.

The 2017 season saw Johnson’s student-athletes produce top performances at both the indoor and outdoor SEC Championships, assisting in Arkansas’ efforts to secure their fourth triple crown.

The sprint and hurdle coach for the Razorbacks began his Arkansas career by coaching his student-athletes to four All-America honors, a national championship in the 4 x 400 relay outdoors and a pair of top 10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships.

2015 saw Johnson transition senior Chrishuna Williams from a sprinter to one of the best 800-meter runners in the country. In her first year competing in the event, Williams won a conference championship, broke the school record with 2:01.61 (Payton Jordan Invitational) and posted two top-five performances at the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships.

Over the year, Johnson produced seven All-Americans, four SEC champions (400m, 800m, 4-x-400m), and two NCAA runner-up performances. The two silver medals from Ellis-Watson (400m) and the 4-×-400-meter relay team and a top-five finish from Williams (800m) aided in the Razorbacks winning the program’s first national title at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Carrying the momentum into the next year, Johnson’s group became even more formidable, leading Arkansas to two more conference titles, a fourth program triple crown, and its first outdoor national title. Along the way to collecting multiple program accolades, Johnson was instrumental in guiding Ellis-Watson to two more SEC gold medals and four additional NCAA silvers. At the NCAA indoor meet his pentathlete trio became the first in the history of the NCAA to all medal in the same championship meet, scoring points which led to a national runner-up team finish.

Fresh off the NCAA outdoor championship meet Johnson coached several Razorbacks to Olympic Trial bids with Ellis-Watson and Williams earning spots on the U.S. national team in the 4-x-400 and 800, respectively. Following through with their development Johnson journeyed to Rio with the pair, training the duo right up until their respective races — Ellis-Watson collecting an Olympic gold for her efforts.

Johnson’s first year in the Ozarks was familiar to him as he spent two years as a graduate assistant with the Razorbacks in 2003 and 2004. During that time Arkansas won two Southeastern Conference titles and was a mainstay at the top of the leaderboard at both the SEC and NCAA Championships.

Johnson had a hand in the development of multi-time Olympic gold medalist Veronica Brown-Campbell and NCAA Outdoor Champion and future U.S. Olympic Relay consideration LaShaunte’a Moore.

Johnson guided the Nittany Lions to 36 Big Ten titles and more than 50 All-American Honors and was named the USTFCCCA assistant coach of the year seven times during his stay in State College, Penn. Johnson’s student-athletes played a pivotal role in Penn State women’s fourth-place team finish at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

 

 

Bryan Compton
Assistant Coach

Joining the Razorbacks in the fall of 1998, Bryan Compton has proven to Arkansas that he was an invaluable addition for its coaching staff. In 25 years of working with the Razorback field event personnel and multi-event competitors, Compton’s student- athletes have earned 92 All-American honors which averages to nearly four All-Americans a year. Additionally under his watch over 20 school records have been set, not including numerous heptathlon marks.

Compton’s role has grown since he first joined the Razorback staff and in the fall of 2012 he was charged with coaching all of the field and multi-event competitors. Prior to the change his main focus had been the vertical jumps, throws and assisting with the multis.

When Arkansas achieved a NCAA Triple Crown in 2019, the Razorback pole vault group supplied 21 points during the NCAA Indoor Championship and 10 more during the NCAA Outdoor Championship. Lexi Jacobus claimed the NCAA indoor title with a clearance of 15-1.5 (4.61) while Tori Hoggard and Desiree Freier finished third and fourth as both cleared 14-7.5 (4.46). Hoggard won the NCAA Outdoor title that season with a height of 14-11.5 (4.56).

In total, the Razorbacks have enjoyed six NCAA Championships (4 indoor, 2 outdoor), 23 SEC track & field championships, along with 14 top-four national finishes and 28 top 10 finishes since Compton joined Arkansas’ staff.

The numbers compiled by Compton’s pole vault crew in national championship meets are staggering. In addition to nine NCAA titles, the group has earned 29 first-team All-America honors indoors while accumulating 142.5 team points along with 26 first-team All-America honors outdoors with a tally of 126.2 points. Currently, the Razorbacks have scored in 18 of the past 21 NCAA Indoor and 18 of the past 20 NCAA Outdoor meets.

Amanda Fassold became the most recent Razorback national pole vault champion in claiming the 2023 NCAA Indoor crown while sweeping the SEC indoor and outdoor titles. The vault crew totaled 23 points at SEC Indoor and 25 during the SEC Outdoor meet during a pair of team titles.

The 2022 season included a pair of SEC titles, indoors by Elien Vekemans and outdoors by Amanda Fassold. Vekemans set a career best of 14-8 (4.47) and finished seventh at NCAA Indoor while Fassold established a career best of 14-9 (4.50) that she improved to 14-11 (4.55) as NCAA silver medalist.

In 2017, Compton’s athletes helped Arkansas secure two more SEC titles and two top ten finishes at the NCAA Championships while adding four All-Americans in the pole vault. At the 2017 SEC Outdoor Championships, Compton’s pole vault squad of Lexi Weeks, Tori Weeks and Desiree Freier finished 1-2-3 en route to a 43-point victory by the Razorbacks.

Sharp in identifying young athletes with potential, Compton recruited North Carolina transfer Sandi Morris in 2012 to his talented roster of vaulters. Coming into the program with a PR of 4.30m/14-1.25 Morris progressed rapidly with the help of Compton breaking records formerly held by Sutej within the program and NCAA. Capping her career in 2015 as an NCAA champion, silver medalist and outdoor record holder (4.72m/15-5.75) Morris continued competition on the professional circuit going on to finish second at the USATF Championships and fourth at the World Championships in Beijing.

2015 was a successful year not only for Morris but also for Compton’s vault crew of Desiree Freier and Ariel Voskamp who teamed up with Morris to earn a combined 24 points for Arkansas a the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships. 2014 World Junior Championships runner-up, Freier, went on to earn a silver medal at the 2015 USATF Junior Championships qualifying her to represent the US at the Pan Am Junior Games.

While Compton’s broad-range of talents has been on display throughout his tenure, his expertise in coaching the pole vault has long been his calling card. Over the past 14 years, Compton has coached 14 pole vault student-athletes to the Olympic Games, World Championships, 42 All-America honors, 17 SEC championships and seven SEC championship records. The Razorback success in the event dates back to the turn of the century when April Steiner Bennett became the first woman in league history to clear the 13 and 14 foot marks.

2016 continued his Olympic legacy as three of Compton’s student-athletes including Morris, Sutej and Lexi Weeks represented their respective nations in Rio. Morris and Lexi Weeks earned trips to their first Olympic Games following runner-up and bronze finishes, respectively at the USATF Olympic Trials at Hayward field, during which Compton guided the pair from the sidelines.

Morris went on to win an Olympic silver medal in Rio and continued on following the Games to improve her American record to 16-5 at the Diamond League final in Brussels, Belgium, under the tutelage of Compton.

Compton earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education and biology from Angelo State in 1985. He has one son; Austin. In August of 2022, Compton married Kimberly Boone.

 

Boogie Johnson
Assistant Coach

Lawrence “Boogie” Johnson joined the Razorback women’s track and field program as an assistant coach in the summer of 2023 as his brother, Chris Johnson, began his first season as Arkansas women’s head coach.

The 48-year-old Lawrence, an older brother of Chris (46), has twice been selected as United States of America Track & Field National Coach of the Year, first in 2013 and again in 2019.

Among the greatest sprint and hurdle coaches in the world, Boogie Johnson has guided the careers of numerous Olympians who have become Olympic, World, and national champions while their efforts have included several records. He is the owner and head coach of Hurdle Mechanic, one of the top professional training groups.

In the 2019 season, Dalilah Muhammad set a world record in the 400m hurdles at the USATF Championships and then improved her world record in winning the World Championship title in Doha. During 2013, Johnson coached Briana Rollins McNeal to an American record in the 100m hurdles as well as a gold medal in the 2013 World Championships held in Russia.

Boogie Johnson coached three medalists in the 2016 Rio Olympics with McNeal and Muhammad claiming gold in the 100m hurdle and 400m hurdle races, respectively, while Kristi Castlin added a bronze medal in the 100m hurdles.

In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Muhammad collected a gold medal on the United States 4 x 400m relay and silver medal in the 400m hurdles. In the 2022 World Championships staged in Eugene, Oregon, Muhammad finished as the bronze medalist in the 400m hurdles.

At the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Anna Cockrell set a career best in placing fifth in the 400m hurdle final.

Serving on the coaching staff for Team USA in international competitions, Johnson was a member of USATF’s 2014 World Indoor Championship staff as well as the 2015 World Relay Championships.

Previous collegiate coaching experience for Johnson includes five years as Clemson’s Director of Track and Field from 2008 to 2013. He served as an assistant for four years with the Virginia Tech program, which included him being the Associate Head Women’s Coach for the 2007-08 season.

Johnson spent two years at Southern Illinois, working with the women’s sprinter, hurdlers, and jumpers initially, then added the men’s group in those event areas in the fall of 2004.

After coaching at Clemson, Johnson joined the Cal State Northridge program as an assistant coach prior to the 2015 season and then was named interim head coach of the men’s and women’s programs in July of 2017 through the 2019 season.

In total, Johnson coached five NCAA champions, nearly 100 All-Americans and over 80 conference champions among 16 conference team titles over the span of his collegiate coaching career.

Additional coaching honors for Johnson through USTFCCCA include six accolades as Southeast Region Women’s Coach of the Year with three honors apiece for the indoor and outdoor seasons covering 2010 to 2012.

As a graduate assistant with the Arkansas women’s program, Johnson also assisted with the instruction of sprints, hurdles, and jumps from 1999-2002 when the Razorbacks claimed consecutive SEC triple crowns during that time frame.

Johnson earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Arkansas in 2000 while a sprinter with the Razorback track and field program under head coach John McDonnell. During his time with the program, Johnson competed on four SWC championship teams as well as the 1998 NCAA Outdoor Championship squad.

Prior to competing at Arkansas, Johnson was a member of the National Championship triple crown program at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, in 1994-95. In 1996, Johnson won the South Coast Conference 400m title at Long Beach City College.

Johnson is married to the former Lilly Montgomery, a member of the Arkansas marching band from 1994-96, who earned undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Arkansas. The couple have four children, Desirae (29), Lawrence (23), Laniah (19), and Lukas (18).

 

Taylor Washington
Assistant Coach/Director of Operations

Razorback alum and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Taylor Washington (née Ellis-Watson) returned to the Arkansas women’s program in January of 2024 as director of operations and added assistant coach role for the 2024-25 season.

During her time as a Razorback sprinter from 2013-2016 she collected six silver medals at NCAA Championships and claimed four SEC titles. An Arkansas team captain, Washington was an integral member of two Razorback national championship teams with the 2015 NCAA Indoor and 2016 NCAA Outdoor team titles, the first ever women’s national championship teams in Arkansas history.

Washington totaled nine first-team All-America honors, and 11 accolades overall, in her collegiate career, which included four individual first-team honors in the 400m and five as a member of Razorback 4 x 400m relays.

In conference competition, Washington totaled four golds in the 400m, a pair of silver medals in the 200m, and a relay bronze in the SEC. She also earned an indoor Big East 400m gold with Pittsburgh in 2012.

During the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, placed fourth in the 400m with an Arkansas school record of 50.25 seconds, following prelim and semifinal times of 51.54 and 50.60. Washington entered the meet with a previous best of 50.78.

Earning a position in the Team USA relay pool for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Washington supplied a 50.5 second-leg split on the 4 x 400m relay in the Olympic semifinal as the United States posted the top time in qualifying with a 3:21.42. Washington’s split was third fastest second-leg splits among the 16 countries competing in the two semifinal races.

The Americans claimed victory in the final with a time of 3:19.06, earning Washington an Olympic gold medal. Washington became the fourth Razorback in program history to win an Olympic gold medal, and the first to do so in the 4 x 400m relay.

During the 2016 collegiate season Washington split 50.04 as she anchored the Razorbacks 4 x 400m relay to a then school record of 3:25.48 during the NCAA West Preliminary rounds held in Lawrence, Kansas.

Heading into the 2024 season, Washington remains among the Razorback top 10 lists in seven events. Indoors her collegiate bests times of 22.99 (200m) and 51.51 (400m) as well as a 3:28.70 (4 x 400m relay) remain among the all-time top 10. Outdoors her marks of 11.33 (100m), 22.48 (200m), and 50.25 (400m) are among the top 10 as well as the 3:25.48 relay.

A 2015 Arkansas graduate with a B.S. in Psychology, Washington was a 2016 NCAA Women of the Year nominee. In 2017, she was honored at the NCAA Convention as one of 10 exceptional student-athletes selected as Today’s Top 10 Award winners. Washington also earned Arkansas Student-Athlete of the Year.

While competing professionally with adidas for two years, Washington attended Saint Leo University in Florida, attaining her MBA in sports administration in 2018. After graduating with her MBA, she worked for one year as a NASA on the Test Operations Support contract as a NASA support specialist where she managed design and development projects. In July of 2019, Washington joined the University of Central Florida athletic staff as coordinator of executive operations.

In 2021, Washington worked as a People Advisory Services Consultant at Ernst & Young where she specialized in Program Management, Organizational Change Management, and Training. While embarking on her professional career after being an athlete, she stayed plugged in her local high schools as a coach for cross country and track & field at Windermere High School and Montverde Academy.

Taylor is married to Wesley Washington. Together they have a son and daughter, Tauren & Arlie.

 

 

 Arkansas women’s head coach Chris Johnson has announced the hiring of Marc Burns as the Razorbacks women’s head coach in cross country and assistant coach in track and field.

Burns joins an Arkansas program that swept a pair of women’s NCAA Championships in 2024 during Johnson’s first year as head coach of the Razorbacks women’s program.

“We’re very excited about Marc and the expertise he brings to Arkansas,” Johnson stated. “He’s a long-time coach and been around the block with four universities with Missouri being the most recent.

“He’s been in the private sector the past couple of years but wanted to get back into coaching. We’re very impressed with the conversations that we’ve had with him. I’ve watched him coach for some time and we’re very excited about him being a Razorback and bringing a wealth of knowledge to the distance program.”

Previously, Burns served as Missouri’s men’s and women’s head cross country coach and assistant coach for distance and mid-distance runners for eight seasons (2014-2021). Recently, he has been director of sales with Boost Treadmills.

“We are thrilled to be coming to Fayetteville to join such an incredible program and staff,” said Burns. “Coach Chris Johnson has been incredible throughout this process and I’m thankful for the trust he has instilled in me to join his staff.

“The opportunity to coach track & field and cross country at the University of Arkansas is truly an honor and one that I won’t ever take lightly. There are only a few iconic brands in track and field in the NCAA system and Arkansas is at the top of the list.”

While at Missouri, Burns was key in the development and opening of the Gans Creek Cross Country course that will host the 2025 NCAA Championships.

Coaching honors for Burns at Missouri included the 2016 Midwest Cross Country Women’s Coach of the Year and 2017 USTFCCCA Midwest Indoor Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year.

“Our family is excited to relocate to the NWA area,” added Burns. “It’s such a beautiful part of the country and we are looking forward to exploring all that it has to offer. With the indoor season upon us, I’m ready to get feet on the ground in Fayetteville and get to work!”

During his coaching career, Burns has mentored 85 conference champions, 37 NCAA Championship qualifiers, 45 All-Region in cross country, 15 All-Americans, seven conference team champions, six National Champions, six conference Runner of the Year honorees, two Honda Sports Woman of the Year award winners and an Olympian.

His Missouri athletes set a collegiate record, four collegiate top 10 marks, and 23 school records. The Missouri women’s cross country team won the 2016 Midwest Region title and qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in more than a decade.

Tiger distance runner Karissa Schweizer set a collegiate record in the indoor 3,000m (8:41.60) during the 2018 season and in 2020 became the first female Olympian in program history since sprinter Natasha (Kaiser) Brown in 1996.

Prior to Mizzou, Burns was the head coach at Bradley for four seasons (2010-2014) as he was charged with the restoration of the men’s track and field team, which was disbanded in 1992 and reinstated in 2012.

At Bradley, Burns coached five Missouri Valley champions while 13 Bradley school records were broken.

Burns also coached at Wichita State University (2006-10) as the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach. He earned the Missouri Valley Women’s Cross Country of the Year four consecutive years (2006-09) and was named 2009 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women’s Coach of the Year.

Wichita State totaled 22 individual MVC Championship titles under Burns along with seven school records and three NCAA All-American performances.

Burns graduated from Loyola University in Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing in 1991. In 2019 he was inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

A two-time All-American at Loyola, Burns earn an individual honor in 1990 finishing seventh in the NCAA Indoor 3,000m. Burns was also a member of the 4 x 800m relay that placed sixth in the 1989 NCAA Indoor. His 3,000m time of 7:58.90 ranks second in school history while he was a member of the two fastest 4 x 800m relays in school history, still holding four school indoor and outdoor relay records.

In addition, Burns was a two-time champion in the 5,000m at the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Indoor Championships and a three-time All-MCC honoree in cross country.

Returning to his alma mater in 1996, Burns coached at Loyola for 10 seasons, first as the head women’s cross country coach and then head coach of both the men’s and women’s track and field programs from 2000-2006.

He guided the Rambler men to the program’s only NCAA Cross Country Championship appearance in 2005. While at the helm of the cross country programs, Burns’ teams never finished lower than second place in the conference championships.

Honors achieved by Loyola athletes included three Horizon League team titles, 53 Horizon League Champions, 49 All-Conference performers, and 16 All-Region finishers.

Burns and his wife, Alana (Crisman), have four sons – Connor, Brian, Sean, and Cris.