Former State Champ Named New Wrestling Coach at Owatonna

Derek Johnson won a pair of state individual wrestling titles (1999, 2000) while competing with Owatonna High School. He was a member of the 1998 state team championship. In 2019 Johnson was inducted into the OHS Athletic Hall of Fame for that illustrious grappling career. He is now the head coach for the Huskies.

Owatonna Activities Director Marc Achterkirch said in a news release, "We are very pleased and excited to have Derek joining our coaching staff at Owatonna High School. Coach Johnson brings a tremendous amount of wrestling knowledge and experience to the position. Coach Johnson will be an excellent leader and role model to help develop great students on and off the mat."

Johnson was a four-time state individual qualifier for the state meet, finishing third (2001) and sixth (1998) in addition to the state titles in the years between. OHS was state runner-up the two years after the title of 1998. The Huskies won three Big Nine titles while he was a member of the team.

When Johnson graduated he held the school record for career victories, single-season wins, career pins, falls in a single season, quickest pin, take downs in a career, and most points in a season. Some of the marks have fallen since.

Johnson was Academic All-state twice, All-State four times, and captain during his senior season of 2000-2001. He was All-Big Nine four times and wrestled one season at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

The news release states, "Derek has coached in the Owatonna youth program for six years and was a high school assistant in 2014." He comes from a wrestling family that included his dad spending time as a coach. Johnson works for Roundbank and has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wisconsin.

The Huskies shared the Big Nine title this past season. Junior Landen Johnson was a state individual champion in 2021. Johnson was recently named an Academic All-State by The Guillotine wrestling publication.

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