USF baseball promotes volunteer assistant coach
Volunteer assistant coach Chris Johns was promoted to a full-time position for USF baseball on Monday. Johns’ promotion is the latest coaching change since the Bulls hired associate head coach Alan Kunkel on June 8.
Before joining the Bulls in 2022, Johns held positions at Northwest Florida State College, Hofstra University, Iowa Western Community College and the University of Northern Colorado.
At Northwest Florida State College, 10 former players were selected in the MLB Draft during Johns’ tenure from 2016-21. As a pitching coach with Iowa Western, seven players were drafted during his three-year stint from 2009-12.
In his current position with USF, Johns primarily works with the outfielders and oversees the development of players such as junior Drew Butcher. Butcher entered the 2023 season rated as the No.1 draft prospect in the AAC and 28th overall outfielder by D1Baseball.com. He was also a 2023 Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List member.
The Lakeland native finished his junior year batting .293 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI. Butcher was also one of three Bulls players named to the All-AAC first team.
As a player, Johns was a pitcher at multiple programs such as Lamar Community College, Louisiana Lafayette and Northern Colorado. In 2003, he was an All-American and was projected as the top junior college pitcher in the country by Baseball America in 2004.
Additionally, head coach Billy Mohl will handle coaching the Bulls’ pitching staff going forward, taking over former coach Karsten Whitson’s role with the program.
More Stories
The Oracle needs your help
Dear reader: Reporters for USF’s award-winning student newspaper, The Oracle, have recently navigated through a pandemic, a rapidly evolving political climate and a change in university president – all with the goal of sharing important news and stories. Though The Oracle has been an integral part in keeping the USF community informed since 1966, we […]
COLUMN: Cherish the press box moments
I still remember standing at mid-field as USF Football celebrated its Boca Raton Bowl win over Syracuse. Picture this scene: The crowd rushes to the field to surround the team and catch a glimpse of the Boca Raton Bowl trophy. “Go Bulls” echoed throughout the stadium, and green and gold confetti was everywhere. I soaked […]
Here’s how these undrafted USF football players’ careers turned out
Ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft, many players wait in anticipation to hear their names called in the first round. For some, it’s an instant ticket to stardom. But being selected on the first day of the draft isn’t the only route to a successful career. Fifteen former undrafted NFL players are enshrined in the NFL […]
Column: USF men’s basketball, thanks for the fun season
This is a personal column about assistant sports editor Noah Vinsky’s first-hand experience covering men’s basketball. Sports have always run in my blood. Growing up, ESPN was nearly on a constant loop on my living room television. I came to USF knowing I wanted to be a writer. The Oracle seemed like a great place […]
USF’s Mindy McCord builds culture of “family and love” into lacrosse
At 23 years old, a career in coaching was not what Mindy McCord had envisioned. After a stint playing for one of the top field hockey teams in Australia following a successful college playing career, she returned to America. McCord was on track to earn a master’s degree in counseling at Virginia Tech while coaching […]
USF campus ministers offer perspective on stadium development: ‘Exciting benefit of exposure.’
Take a tranquil stroll down Sycamore Drive. It’s a quieter part of campus, hidden away from the usual hustle and bustle of USF. It’s home to an area colloquially known as “Religious Row,” a collection of on-campus religious organizations. In just a few years – with the construction of an on-campus football stadium – the […]