Matt Johns enters his fifth year as an assistant on William & Mary's staff and his fourth coaching the quarterbacks. He will continue to serve as the Tribe’s passing game coordinator after earning the promotion in 2022.
Johns made a tremendous impact on the Tribe’s success in his first season as the Tribe’s passing game coordinator, as W&M established itself as one of the nation’s most efficient and dynamic attacks through the air. Under Johns’ direction, W&M ranked seventh nationally in passing efficiency (164.62), fourth in yards per attempt (9.64) and sixth in yards per completion (15.06). Those figures helped the Tribe post 448.8 total yards per game and 33.5 points per game – averages that rank fourth and fifth, respectively, on the program’s all-time single-season list.
That success helped propel W&M to new heights as a program, as the Tribe equaled a school record with 11 victories, won a share of the Colonial Athletic Association title and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals.
Quarterback Darius Wilson has benefited tremendously from Johns’ tutelage, as he emerged as one of the country’s most dynamic and efficient signal callers as a sophomore in 2022. Wilson finished the year ranked fourth nationally in yards per pass attempt (9.42), sixth in yards per completion (14.91) and 11th in passing efficiency (158.6) and was honored as the state of Virginia’s second-best quarterback by VaSID.
During the prior season, Wilson established himself as one of the nation’s top freshmen and was honored as the CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year. Additionally, he broke W&M’s true freshman record for passing yards (1,205) and total yards (1,591).
Although the COVID-19 global pandemic limited the 2020 campaign to a three-game slate during the spring, Johns’ impact was evident in the team’s improved passing efficiency (133.1), which catapulted from 111.2 the previous year, and the continued development of standout quarterback Hollis Mathis.
One of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks, Mathis led the CAA in total offense per game (232.0). Additionally, he ranked second in yards per completion (12.2), third in passing yards per game (189.5) and completion percentage (60.8), and fourth in passing efficiency (136.1).
During Johns’ first year at W&M as the inside wide receivers/tight ends coach, his group contributed to the team’s dramatic improvement offensively in which it nearly double its scoring output and averaged nearly 100 more total yards per game from the previous season.
A former starting quarterback at the University of Virginia, Johns joined the Tribe’s staff after serving as a graduate assistant working with the Cavaliers’ defense in 2018.
En route to helping Virginia post an 8-5 record, which included a shutout victory against South Carolina in the Belk Bowl, UVA’s defense produced three All-Atlantic Coast Conference selections. Additionally, the Cavaliers ranked 11th nationally in interceptions (17), 16th in passing yards allowed per game (183.0) and 21st in scoring defense (20.1).
Prior to joining the Cavaliers’ staff, Johns served as the quarterbacks coach at Central Bucks South High School in 2017.
A four-year letterwinner at Virginia, Johns finished his career ranked 11th on the program’s career passing list (4,233) and sixth in passing touchdowns (30) and 200-yard passing games (11).
