Rutgers head coach Schiano gave Johansen full autonomy to shape the defense, appointing former South Dakota cornerbacks coach Eric Finney, former Drake head coach Joe Woodley, and former Drake defensive coordinator Adam Cox to his staff, with more hires to follow.
Schiano publicly praised Johansen’s track record and confidence in his ability to rebuild the defense, while Johansen emphasized building personal relationships with players as a core value of the program.