Joe Johnston Named Head Coach of Air Force Wrestling
8/13/2026 11:00:00 AM | Wrestling
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY – Joe Johnston, in his eighth season as assistant coach at the Air Force Academy, was named head coach of the wrestling program in an announcement made by the Interim Director of Athletics Dr. Nancy Hixson. Johnston takes the baton from previous head coach Sam Barber who announced his retirement from coaching and his promotion to Associate Athletic Director, July 15.
"What an honor to be selected as the Head Wrestling Coach at the United States Air Force Academy," coach Johnston exclaimed. "This is a dream job for me, and I look forward to leading our warriors to a new level of excellence in the Pac-12 and on the national stage. The Air Force Academy is a special place, and I'm committed to giving my all to honor the commitment these young men have made to serve their country by providing them amazing mentorship, premier competition opportunities, and support to earn their dream job in the U.S. Air and Space Forces! The future is bright!"
In his tenure at the Academy, Johnston has helped guide three Air Force All-Americans, three Top 25 team finishes, 33 national qualifiers, and 42 conference medalists. Johnston's cadet athletes have earned 95 academic all-conference honors and garnered 21 NWCA Scholar All-America honors.
"We are pleased to elevate Joe Johnston to head coach of Air Force wrestling," Hixson said. "Joe has been a key figure in building the program over the last eight years and I'm confident he will continue to do so as he takes over as our next head coach. Our mission is to build leaders of character for the Air Force and Space Force, and our wrestling program has certainly been a great example of that over the years. I am confident that Joe will continue to lead our wrestling program with integrity and support our important mission. The future of our program is very bright."
Johnston came to the Academy after 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Missouri under head coach Brian Smith. While on staff at Mizzou, Johnston helped to produce 36 All-Americans and six National Champions. He coached the Tiger wrestlers to eight consecutive conference titles in 2012 (Big 12), and 2013-19 (MAC), as well as five consecutive Top 10 finishes at the NCAA Championships.
"I could not be more excited for Joe Johnston and the future of Air Force Wrestling," Barber said. "Joe has been an integral part of building the mission-first, values-based, championship-driven program that produced three Top 25 NCAA finishes and three NCAA All-Americans while developing outstanding leaders and young men on and off the mat. I've watched Joe grow tremendously as a coach and leader, and his passion for competing with pride and poise, along with his incredible high character and integrity, aligns perfectly with the mission of our Athletic Department and the Air Force Academy. With Joe leading an outstanding group of returning cadet-athletes alongside coaches like Chris Heilman and the staff, the foundation we built together is strong, and I strongly believe the best days of Air Force Wrestling are still ahead."
Johnston brings both collegiate coaching and high-level wrestling experience to Air Force. He was a two-time All-American for the University of Iowa at 157 pounds, placing second as a junior in 2005, and sixth as a senior in 2006. He tallied a 113-45 career record as a Hawkeye, managing at least 26 victories in each season of competition.
A two-time team captain and Most Valuable Wrestler, the Hawkeye was a top-notch student in the classroom, earning J. Donald McPike senior award for highest grade-point average. Johnston graduated from Iowa in 2006 and went on to earn his master's degree in educational psychology from the University of Missouri in 2013.
"What an honor to be selected as the Head Wrestling Coach at the United States Air Force Academy," coach Johnston exclaimed. "This is a dream job for me, and I look forward to leading our warriors to a new level of excellence in the Pac-12 and on the national stage. The Air Force Academy is a special place, and I'm committed to giving my all to honor the commitment these young men have made to serve their country by providing them amazing mentorship, premier competition opportunities, and support to earn their dream job in the U.S. Air and Space Forces! The future is bright!"
In his tenure at the Academy, Johnston has helped guide three Air Force All-Americans, three Top 25 team finishes, 33 national qualifiers, and 42 conference medalists. Johnston's cadet athletes have earned 95 academic all-conference honors and garnered 21 NWCA Scholar All-America honors.
"We are pleased to elevate Joe Johnston to head coach of Air Force wrestling," Hixson said. "Joe has been a key figure in building the program over the last eight years and I'm confident he will continue to do so as he takes over as our next head coach. Our mission is to build leaders of character for the Air Force and Space Force, and our wrestling program has certainly been a great example of that over the years. I am confident that Joe will continue to lead our wrestling program with integrity and support our important mission. The future of our program is very bright."
Johnston came to the Academy after 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Missouri under head coach Brian Smith. While on staff at Mizzou, Johnston helped to produce 36 All-Americans and six National Champions. He coached the Tiger wrestlers to eight consecutive conference titles in 2012 (Big 12), and 2013-19 (MAC), as well as five consecutive Top 10 finishes at the NCAA Championships.
"I could not be more excited for Joe Johnston and the future of Air Force Wrestling," Barber said. "Joe has been an integral part of building the mission-first, values-based, championship-driven program that produced three Top 25 NCAA finishes and three NCAA All-Americans while developing outstanding leaders and young men on and off the mat. I've watched Joe grow tremendously as a coach and leader, and his passion for competing with pride and poise, along with his incredible high character and integrity, aligns perfectly with the mission of our Athletic Department and the Air Force Academy. With Joe leading an outstanding group of returning cadet-athletes alongside coaches like Chris Heilman and the staff, the foundation we built together is strong, and I strongly believe the best days of Air Force Wrestling are still ahead."
Johnston brings both collegiate coaching and high-level wrestling experience to Air Force. He was a two-time All-American for the University of Iowa at 157 pounds, placing second as a junior in 2005, and sixth as a senior in 2006. He tallied a 113-45 career record as a Hawkeye, managing at least 26 victories in each season of competition.
A two-time team captain and Most Valuable Wrestler, the Hawkeye was a top-notch student in the classroom, earning J. Donald McPike senior award for highest grade-point average. Johnston graduated from Iowa in 2006 and went on to earn his master's degree in educational psychology from the University of Missouri in 2013.
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