OU baseball head coach Skip Johnson has been named national coach of the year after leading the Sooners to a national championship.
Johnson, in his ninth year as a Sooner head coach, guided the team to winning the College World Series after entering the postseason unranked, falling out of the Southeastern Conference Tournament in one game and losing the last four regular season series.
While celebrating the unforeseen run on Wednesday, Johnson teared up in front of over 5,000 fans at Kimrey Family Stadium.
#Sooners baseball celebrates its national championship title with OU community members at Kimrey Family Stadium.
"I don't know where to start, ..." Johnson said. "I get emotional about it."
And like his usual self, he spoke humbly.
"They took it over," Johnson said. "I just got out of the way and watched the (assistant) coaches do their magic. Incredible, man, you guys made this happen."
Despite his selfless attitude, Johnson's tenure as the head coach of OU baseball already is set to be considered legendary for his impact on the program. He is the first OU baseball head coach to take the program to two College World Series finals appearances, first guiding the Sooners that far in 2022. The 2026 Sooners won their third College World Series in program history, including championships in 1951 and 1994.
They also became the first team to win the national championship while starting a freshman pitcher in every game during the College World Series, with Cord Rager, Xander Mercurius and Nick Wesloski.
Athletic director Roger Denny praised Johnson's humble leadership following the championship.
"You lead with humility and authenticity, ..." Denny said. "You reminded us championships are not built on individual accomplishments. They're based on consistency, connectivity and culture. And you've built a culture."
The culture Johnson built not only won his team a championship but also claimed OU's first national title in a major men’s sport — football, basketball and baseball — in 25 years.
