PORTLAND | Warner Pacific University (WPU) Director of Athletics,
Mike Wilson, announced on Wednesday, December 8
th, the resignation of Head Wrestling Coach Frank Johnson, who has parted ways with WPU after eight years to lead the growth of yet another wrestling program. This time at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
"I am grateful to Frank in captaining WPU Athletics as an Interim Athletic Director for several years," Wilson said. "A man of many talents, I am not surprised that one of the most prestigious high schools in the nation has tasked him to build their wrestling program. I will miss his cheerfulness, iPhone videos, and his heart for Jesus. I wish Frank, Tammy, and their boys great success in these next chapters."
Johnson leaves Warner Pacific after founding the WPU Men's and Women's Wrestling programs in the Winter of 2013, and served multiple roles within the Warner Pacific University Athletic Department during his tenure. Most notably, Johnson stepped in to lead the Athletics Department from 2015-2018 as the Interim Athletic Director until Wilson was hired in the Summer of 2018.
Since leading the charge to bring wrestling back to the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) in 2018 as an official sport, Johnson inspired eight other universities (Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon, Corban, Providence, Arizona Christian, Simpson, Vanguard, and Life Pacific) to bring back a total of 11 wrestling programs back to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Warner Pacific University was the first NAIA university in the Pacific Northwest to bring back collegiate wrestling in multiple decades, and owes a lifetime of gratitude and respect to Johnson for tackling said feat.
During his time as the Head Coach of the WPU Wrestling Programs, Johnson coached 11 All-Americans, seven Academic All-CCC student-athletes, two NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athletes, an Academic All-American, and a National Champion wrestler. Since the beginning of 2015, Johnson coached at least one wrestler to All-American status, with three of his 11 All-Americans emerging in the 2016 season.
Not only did Johnson's national champion, Blake Cooper, become the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2016 NAIA National Tournament, he also became the first Knight ever to be ranked #1 nationally in his weight class, and won multiple individual titles at the CCC Championships in 2018.
Johnson coached four women's wrestlers to five separate All-American honors, all of which were selected to the Olympic Residency Program, which provided them with the ability to compete at the Olympic level. One of his student-athletes went on to become a 3-time U.S. Open Champion and 2-time World Bronze medal winner, while another was handpicked to the first ever women's U.S. Olympic Freestyle Wrestling team.
Thanks to Johnson, members of the WPU Men's Wrestling teams that he has coached were able to compete on an international platform in both Russia and Belarus on four separate occasions, which is respected as an incredible accomplishment for any collegiate athlete to partake in.
Wilson and the Warner Pacific University Search Committee have already begun their national search for the next WPU Head Wrestling Coach, and looks forward to the possibility of welcoming Johnson's successor before the beginning of the 2022 Wrestling season.
