Johnny Cox

One of the FLC football program's all-time greats, Johnny Cox, embarks on his second season at the helm of the football in 2023. Hired as the 16^th head coach in program history, Cox made his return to Durango on January 10, 2022.

A 28-year coaching veteran, Cox is a 1994 graduate and two-time All-American at FLC. He rejoins the Skyhawks after spending eight seasons at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke; a NCAA Division II program competing in the Mountain East Conference.

Inducted into the FLC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999, Cox was a four-year star for FLC at the wide receiver position from 1990-93. Cox earned First Team All-American honors in 1992 and 1993 while being named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Player of the Year for the 1993 season.

Cox still owns FLC school records in receiving yards (3,611) and receiving touchdowns (33), while his 220 career catches are the second most in program history. His dominance on the field made him a two-time finalist for the Harlan Hill Trophy, which is awarded to the best player in NCAA Division II football.

He'd continue his playing career in 1994-95 when he was invited to training camp with the Green Bay Packers in 1994. Cox also played one season with the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League in 1995.

It was during that time when Cox also got his coaching career off the ground as he served as the defensive backs coach at FLC in 1994. After earning his master's degree and serving as a graduate assistant at the University of Texas from 1997-99, Cox returned to FLC to serve as the offensive coordinator in 1999 and interim head coach in 2000.

Following a four-year stint as an assistant coach at North Dakota State,, Cox served four seasons (2000-03) as head coach at Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie, Oregon before making his return to the college ranks as special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach at Holy Cross for the 2007 season.

Cox made his NFL coaching debut as a part of former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's defensive staff (quality control) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2008 season. He also spent time as both the wide receivers and offensive quality control coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars under defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio's staff from 2009-11.

Following a two-year stop at North Carolina A&T as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, Cox began his time at UNC Pembroke in 2014 as the offensive coordinator and, most recently, as the Braves' associate head coach.

The Braves made tremendous strides during Cox's tenure, going from a 2-8 overall record in 2014 to posting a record of 10-2 overall in 2016. UNCP set school records in wins, was ranked as high as No. 12 in the country, and won the program's first-ever playoff game that season en route to reaching the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.