Blaine Johnson was selected as Drew's first-ever strength and conditioning coordinator in June 2023. He arrives at The Forest after serving as an assistant strength and conditioning coordinator at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and he has worked as a graduate assistant at Fairleigh Dickinson University and as an intern at Rutgers University.

Q: What made you choose to come to Drew University?            
Johnson: The ability to stay home has been a priority of mine ever since I entered this field. I have lived in New Jersey my entire life and haven't envisioned myself moving far away. When the role at Drew opened, I was ecstatic at the idea of stepping into a bigger role while also being close to home.  

Q: Can you talk about the process of developing a strength and conditioning program from the ground-up?            
Johnson: It is often mentioned in every aspect of athletics, but the first thing is setting the culture you envision. This includes ideals and vision, rules, functions,and making sure it is known across all of athletics. The second is becoming a familiar face and building the natural trust of all of those around me, creating buy-in for what I have envisioned. In a weird way, the training is the easy part and will progress as the program does.

Q: Why did you choose to become a strength and conditioning coordinator? What are some of your favorite aspects of the job?            
Johnson: Funny enough, as I was progressing through my high school years I always thought this  profession was out of reach. I would watch every S&C video on YouTube posted by major college football programs as I had aspirations to play at the next level, and was certain only the elite of the elite could coach at that level. As I was finishing undergrad I decided to do my senior internship with Rutgers Athletics and it truly drove home that this was my passion. All other career possibilities now seemed bleak to me. I wanted to provide athletes with the coaching and resources I wished I had when I was playing. 

Q: What have been some of your most memorable moments from your previous stops at other schools?            
Johnson: During my time at FDU our men's volleyball team started its inaugural season as a Division I program and its first win at home was very special. Another massive memory came last fall at FDU where the men's soccer team won the conference title after winning the regular season. They scored a come-from-behind goal to win 2-1 and when I watched that second goal go in I went berserk. This would be very special as FDU swept all three fall sports, winning titles in both soccer programs and women's volleyball.

Q: How did your strength and conditioning career get started?            
Johnson: Before my time at Rutgers, I was certain I would go to physical therapy school. After that time I knew this career was meant for me, and I was off to search for graduate assistant positions. Luckily for me one of my best friends sent me an NCAA posting for the FDU GA position and I applied. A common theme - I wanted to stay in New Jersey so FDU fit the bill perfectly. This was the first time FDU had ever employed GAs and it was the experience and responsibility I needed. The connections I made there gave me a chance to apply for a position at NJIT after my part-time training job was closing. My time at NJIT was nothing short of excellent, and I grew so much.

Q: Who have been some of the biggest influences in your career?            
Johnson: To name a few at Rutgers would be coaches Becky Bonaventura, Kevin Backus and Will Otto. They helped show me exactly what I didn't know; it sounds silly but this field is a constant learning experience. At FDU I was lucky to work with incredible GAs under coach Dave Downey, who has moved on to Brown University. His trust in me gave me the confidence needed to grow in a field I was very new to. Due to his connection I was lucky enough to work with Bobby Fisk, Drew Culpand, and Rory Gallagher. I am happy to say it felt more like working with friends than co-workers, and our conversations and brainstorming forced me to expand how I think more than you could understand. Some other influences outside of my direct connections would be coach Paul Jackson of Utah State, which also leads back to a pioneer in our field, Tommy Moffit, as well as some private-sector coaches like Joe Defranco, Dave Tate, and the late Louie Simmons. 

Q: If you weren't in strength and conditioning, what would you be doing?            
Johnson: I always knew I would work in health or sports, and I thought physical therapy school had my name all over it. I had even thought about becoming a dietitian, particularly in sports. If S&C wasn't an option, I still would have found myself very close to this profession.