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Ohio State assistant Larry Johnson says retirement is far off: ‘I enjoy coaching’

Andrew Olson

By Andrew Olson

Published:

Larry Johnson has been in coaching for almost 50 years, but he’s not thinking about retiring.

The long-time defensive assistant was asked about his coaching future during a Tuesday media session at Ohio State’s Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

“People ask that question all the time,” Johnson said. “My retirement plan is way away from here. I enjoy coaching. The day that I stop enjoying coaching with the passion that I do, then I’ll do that (retire). I don’t get up in the morning and say, ‘well, this is it.’ That’s not the way I function. I get up every morning dying to get into the building coaching those guys. When I can’t do that anymore, it will tell me. Right now, I’m not telling myself anything.”

Johnson wasn’t fazed by working with a new coordinator. Jim Knowles arrived from Oklahoma State after the 2021 campaign.

“It’s different. It’s different terminology. Things you learn different, that’s all new,” Johnson said. “It’s a new language, but football is football, teaching is teaching when it comes down to it.”

Johnson has been at Ohio State since 2014.

Andrew Olson

A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.