Franklin Regional promotes OL/strength coach Brian Johnson to head coaching job

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | 10:37 PM

As director of facilities at Franklin Regional, Brian Johnson’s duties range from overseeing maintenance and repairs to coordinating with contractors for building projects.

He even has to make occasional proposals at school board meetings.

As head football coach of the Panthers, he wants to make sure the program, and its players, also have sound structure.

Johnson was hired by a 9-0 vote Wednesday night to lead the Panthers.

He has been working with players in the offseason, primarily in the weight room.

“Football is secondary,” Johnson said. “I want to create better young men. The X’s and O’s come easy. The kids are sometimes not pulled in the right direction. Clean your locker. Brush your teeth. Yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am. There is more diversity and economic disparity here than people think. I tell the kids, if I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t hold you accountable.”

Legendary coach George Novak called Johnson “one of the strongest kids we’ve ever had” when Johnson played center at Woodland Hills. Molding strong players is one of his top attributes.

“To me, the key is simple,” Johnson said. “It’s black and white. There is not much gray. I am concerned more about the small things, not so much the outcome.

“My dad was a former Marine. I played for great coaches like (Novak) and Geno DeMarco (at Geneva College) and they got me into that (mentality),” Johnson said. “If you take care of the little things, the bigger things will take care of themselves.”

Johnson, 43, a former Big 33 selection, was on Lance Getsy’s staff for the last three seasons as an offensive line coach and served as strength coach for last two years.

He moved to Murrysville three years ago and lives there with his wife, Melissa, and two children, Dylan (seventh grade) and Catelynn (fifth grade).

Ed Johnson, Brian’s father, died when the new coach was 5. Ed Johnson played center and linebacker at Pitt.

“I watched how tough it was for my mom (Janet) to raise me as a single mother,” Brian Johnson said. “I am from a tough place (Turtle Creek), and I know what hard work can do.”

Johnson was an assistant at Woodland Hills from 2018-22, where he coached the offensive line, and served as an assistant to Bob Palko at Mt. Lebanon (2022-23).

Getsy resigned in November after five seasons. He compiled a 24-30 record and made the WPIAL playoffs four times in five years, winning a conference title in 2022.

Franklin Regional was 1-9 this season and finished last in the Class 5A Big East (0-6).

New to coaching only eight years ago, Johnson is ready to take over his own team.

“I knew I was ready (to be a head coach) three years ago,” Johnson said.

He applied at Woodland Hills in 2017 and was a finalist. Tim Bostard, a friend of Johnson and a current assistant at Penn-Trafford, got the job.

Johnson will be the Panthers’ third coach in 33 years. Greg Botta retired in 2021 after 27 seasons.

He plans to retain most of Getsy’s staff, with a few changes, primarily on the defensive side.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional