Jan. 14, 2005
OXFORD, Ohio -- Miami head football coach Shane Montgomery has taken two more significant steps toward rounding out his coaching staff by announcing Taver Johnson as the program's defensive coordinator and Matt Hohman as the team's offensive line coach. Johnson was Miami's linebackers coach from 2000-03 before spending last season with the Cleveland Browns, while Hohman, a 1995 Miami graduate, returns to his alma mater after a season at the University of San Diego.
"With these hirings, we've added two more talented individuals who are familiar with Miami University and in line with the values of our program," Montgomery said. "Coach Johnson is a talented, energetic coach who has a strong understanding of our
defensive system and personnel. His return makes for a seamless transition for a defense that returns a lot of talent for the 2005 season. Coach Hohman is one of Miami's own and a young coaching talent who comes back to his alma mater with a diverse and successful coaching background."
Johnson, who last season served as a special teams assistant coach with the NFL's Cleveland Browns originally joined Miami's coaching staff prior to the 2000 campaign and served as linebackers coach until departing to take an assistant coaching position with the Cleveland Browns following the 2003 season. In 2003, Johnson's linebackers all totaled more than 100 tackles, while senior Terrell Jones earned first-team all-MAC honors, sophomore Terna Nande earned second-team all-MAC honors and sophomore John Busing led all linebackers nationally with five interceptions. Miami's defense ranked among the top 20 nationally in rushing defense and forced a whopping 39 turnovers in 2003. Both Nande and Busing, now seniors, return for 2005, along with Derek Rehage, who also saw extensive action as a linebacker during Johnson's original Miami tenure.
Prior to joining Miami's staff, Johnson had spent the 1999 season as a defensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame University. He had previously been at NCAA Division III Millikin University since 1996, serving as linebackers coach throughout his tenure and as defensive coordinator in 1998. A two-time Associated Press All-American as a linebacker at Wittenberg University, Johnson began his coaching career as the defensive line coach at his alma mater in 1995, coaching two seasons. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Wittenberg in 1994.
Hohman, who lettered on the football field for Miami in 1994, was a four-year member of the program as a player and also served as a student-assistant coach, strength and conditioning intern and eventually a graduate assistant at Miami. After
completing a double major in health appraisal and enhancement and sport organization at Miami in 1995, Hohman spent two seasons at the Division III level, coaching at the University of Dubuque and Wilmington College, before returning to Miami as a graduate assistant, working with the offensive line, prior to the 1998 season. The RedHawks went 10-1 during the 1998 campaign, while rushing for a whopping 2,659 yards and 24 touchdowns.
From there, Hohman spent two seasons as offensive line coach and a year as offensive coordinator at Ashland University, where he coordinated all phases of the offensive gameplan while the program broke three single-season offensive records, including those for total yards (4,523), yards per game (411.2) and first downs (226). Most recently, Hohman spent the 2004 season at the University of San Diego, serving as special teams coordinator and defensive line coach for the NCAA I-AA Toreros.
Since his hiring on Dec. 28, 2004, Montgomery has filled five of the vacancies on his coaching staff, including strength and conditioning coach Dan Dalrymple, wide receivers coach Brian Von Bergen and safeties coach Tim Cooper, who were retained from last season's staff.
