Springfield, OH – Wittenberg football Head Coach Jim Collins finalizes his inaguarl staff with the additions of Andre Griffin, Dan Conwell, and Jovon Johnson. This group brings a combined 27 years of coaching experience to the Tiger sidelines, bringing a variety of knowledge and experience from every level NCAA football.
Coach Griffin joins the Tiger program from Ohio Northern University where he tutored the wide receiver corps. During his first two years he has helped mentor two all-conference players. He assisted with all phases of offensive game planning, assisted with special teams and recruiting. Before making his way to ONU, Coach Griffin headed up the Lima Senior program. Prior to that he spent eight years at Saginaw Valley State University as the Running Backs Coach, Wide Receivers Coach, Pro Liaison and Recruiting Coordinator. He was part of three Great Lake Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Divisional Championships in 2011, 2012, and 2013 and part of three Division II playoff appearances in 2009, 2011 and 2013.
Coach Griffin broke in to the coaching scene at Saint Charles Preparatory School coaching football and track. This led him to Capital University with the opportunity to coach under 2005 Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Jim Collins. Coach Griffin spent three seasons at Capital where he was part of three NCAA Division III National Playoff appearances in 2005, 2006 and 2007; and setting a school record for victories in those seasons.
Griffin grew up in Cleveland, Ohio graduating from Shaker Heights High School. He continued his academic and athletic career, playing college football as a running back at The Ohio State University, graduating in 2002 with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Sociology. Andre is the son of Archie Griffin and Loretta Laffitte-Griffin. He and his wife Deanna have been married for sixteen years and have two sons, Dianté and Adrien.
Coach Conwell comes to Wittenberg via Kent State University where he most recently served as a Defensive Graduate Assistant. While at Kent, Conwell worked with a variety of position groups, including, Defensive Line, Inside Linebackers, and Defensive Backs. On the field, the Kent State defense posted the No. 1 pass defense in the Mid-American Conference in 2020. The Golden Flash pass defense landed at No. 3 overall in the nation at the end of the 2020 season. The Kent State defense continued to post big numbers in 2021, leading the MAC in both turnover margin and total interceptions (16). The Golden Flashes would finish 2021 second nationally in turnover margin and fifth for interceptions. Prior to joining the Golden Flashes coaching staff, Conwell served as an Offensive Quality Control coach for NCAA Division I FCS, Houston Baptist University. Coach Conwell will serve as the Tiger's Defensive Backs coach heading into the 2022 season.
Conwell received his Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from Bowling Green State University in 2017. Coach Conwell would move on to obtain his Masters in Sport Recreation and Management from Kent State University in the Spring of 2021.
Coach Johnson joins the Tiger coaching staff via Northeastern State University of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Coach Johnson has spent time on staff with NCAA Division I West Virginia University and Ohio University. While with the Mountaineers and Bobcats, Coach Johnson served as a Defensive Graduate Assistant, working primarily with the Linebacker position group. During his time at Ohio, Coach Johnson helped guide a defense that led the nation in takeaways in 2018 with 30. During that 2018 season, the Bobcats earned a trip to the DXL Frisco Bowl. Before joining the collegiate coaching ranks, Coach Johnson began his journey at Solon High School as a Linebackers coach in 2016.
Coach Johnson played collegiately at Ohio University under legendary Head Coach Frank Solich. While playing for the Bobcats, Johnson was named team captain in 2015 after obtaining 3rd Team All-MAC honors in 2013. Coach Johnson graduated from Ohio University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Health. He would later go on to obtain a Master's in Coaching Education in 2019 from OU. Johnson is currently pursuing a second Master's, this time in Corporate Communications from West Virginia University.