Kooten Johnson returns to lead the program after previously serving on staff at Western Illinois and brings a strong combination of Division I experience, head coaching success, and deep ties to the Leatherneck community. He becomes just the third head coach in program history, following the legacies of John MacKenzie and longtime head coach Dr. Eric Johnson, his father.
Johnson spent the last two years as an assistant coach with the Leatherneck women's soccer team while also working with the men's program. In this role, he was involved in all day-to-day aspects of the program, including recruiting, practice planning, opponent scouting, compliance, budgeting, academic oversight, and community engagement.
Before returning to Western Illinois, Johnson came from Horizon League outfit Purdue Fort Wayne, and had been the program's top assistant since March of 2020. In 2023, the Mastodons finished at 7-6-4 and made it to the semi-finals of the Horizon League Tournament.
Before Purdue Fort Wayne, Johnson was the head coach of the Fighting Scots at Monmouth College. In 2019, he led the Scots to nine wins, the second-highest total in program history. Monmouth qualified for the Midwest Conference Tournament for the first time since 2001 and set a program record for single-season goals against average. In his time at Monmouth, Johnson guided the Fighting Scots to 12 All-Conference selections, in addition to Jaxon Coleman earning Newcomer of the Year honors in 2019. Johnson also coached 31 Academic All-Conference selections.
Johnson, a WIU men's soccer alum, played from 2008-2011, earning all-league honors in 2010.
Johnson earned his undergraduate degree in kinesiology from Western Illinois.
