Tony Johnson began his coaching career at Georgetown in 1966 as the volunteer coach of the relatively new rowing program. Over the next three years Georgetown earned a second place finish and two first place finishes at the Dad Vail Regatta, the small college national championship for rowing. In 1969 he accepted a position as Yale’s full-time salaried head crew coach. Over the next 20 years, his crews won multiple Eastern Sprint titles, the 1982 national championship, and two junior varsity titles at the Royal Henley Regatta.

In 1989 Frank Rienzo, with encouragement from Georgetown University President Timothy S. Healy, S.J., offered him a full-time position as Georgetown’s Director of Rowing. For the next 25 years he led significant growth of the program to include the expansion of the staff as well as coordinating an upgrade in competition from the Dad Vail to the Eastern Sprints League. Equipment, fundraising, and training facilities continued to expand and he has been a leading proponent for a Georgetown boathouse.

Twice since retiring in 2014, Johnson has been called back to coach at Georgetown when vacancies occurred midyear: in 2018 to assist with the Women’s Rowing team, and then in 2022 as Head Men’s Rowing coach for the spring semester.