Holmes Community College has named assistant head coach and defensive coordinator C.J. Johnson as its next head football coach, the program announced Monday.
The move follows the retirement of Marcus Wood after the 2026 season. Wood led the Bulldogs for five seasons (2022-26), guiding them to a 7-0 start and a No. 6 NJCAA ranking in 2024 along with the program’s first playoff appearance since 2002. Holmes finished 1-9 in 2026.
Johnson, a Philadelphia, Miss., native and former Ole Miss standout, has spent the past four seasons on the Holmes staff. He has served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the last two years after working as co-defensive coordinator in his first two seasons; he coached linebackers throughout his tenure.
“Choosing C.J. Johnson as our next head football coach is a tremendous moment for Holmes Community College, as he has earned the respect of our entire campus through his tireless work ethic over the past four seasons,” Holmes President Dr. Jim Haffey said. “From his days as a team captain at Ole Miss to winning championships as a coach, C.J. knows our culture and what it takes to build a winning standard in Mississippi. We are thrilled to have a leader of his caliber guiding our student-athletes into this next era of Bulldog football.”
Johnson called the opportunity the realization of a longtime goal. “Obviously I’m excited about this opportunity,” he said. “I’d like to thank the leadership of the College for trusting me with this position. I’m looking forward to getting started building our team for next year.” He added that becoming a head coach has always been his dream: “I’ve always tried to do my best as a coordinator and hopefully one day I’d get an opportunity to be a head coach.”
Before arriving at Holmes, Johnson coached as an assistant at Morton High School. Prior stops include defensive coordinator at American Heritage (Delray), defensive line coach at Coffeyville Community College and East Mississippi Community College, and graduate assistant roles at East Mississippi and Florida Atlantic (under Lane Kiffin). At EMCC he helped the Lions win a national title and two state championships; at FAU the Owls claimed a Conference USA title.
As a player, Johnson was a five-year letterman (2011-15) at Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze. A three-year starter, he recorded 180 career tackles, 27 tackles for loss (including 13.5 sacks), three interceptions, four fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. He earned third-team All-SEC and honorable mention All-America recognition as a sophomore defensive end and served as a game captain during Ole Miss’s nation-leading scoring defense season as a junior. He also participated in the 2016 NFL Combine and signed with the New England Patriots as a rookie free agent. A highly touted high school prospect out of Philadelphia, he was a multi-time All-American and the No. 1 player in Mississippi on some lists.
Johnson’s immediate focus is on retaining the current roster and recruiting across Mississippi and the Southeast. He is already working to fill coordinator spots on both sides of the ball. “The plan is to hire coordinators on both sides of the ball, and we’ve already started that process, and we are confident that we’ll get some coordinators in there that’ll fit the identity of what we are trying to build from an offensive and defensive standpoint,” he said.