Rich Johanningmeier has taken some unrelated steps along the path of his professional career in college athletics, and he’s excelled at all of them.
A native St. Louisan whose first sports love was – and will always be – football, Johanningmeier has been a coach, athletics administrator and a valued staff member within the national governing body of intercollegiate athletics. He’s made numerous stops in those endeavors, and has received accolades everywhere he’s been.
Now comes another honor – induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
The ceremony is part of our NFL Kickoff Luncheon presented by Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper and set for 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 at University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center. For tickets, call 417-889-3100.
Johanningmeier first arrived to Springfield in 1960 in order to play for the Missouri State Bears of coaches Aldo Sebben and Orville Pottenger. By the time he graduated four years later, Johanningmeier had won All-America honors from the Associated Press and the Williamson Poll as a two-way tackle.
He anchored the trenches as the nationally-ranked 1963 Bears claimed the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Association title, went undefeated for the season and played in the Mineral Water Bowl. He was a two-time MIAA all-conference selection, the 1963 Bears’ MVP and the recipient of the prestigious MSU Virgil Cheek Athletic Achievement Award when he graduated in 1964.
He then signed a bonus contract to play for the AFL Houston Oilers and played professional football for two years in the Atlantic Coast Football League and the Continental Football League. But he shifted gears, and Johanningmeier began a teaching and coaching career that brought him back to Missouri State as the Bears’ head coach in 1976.
Johanningmeier then spent the next decade along the sidelines at his alma mater, becoming the school’s second-winningest all-time head grid master and building relationships he still cherishes today.
“Working with young student-athletes has always been special for me,” Johanningmeier says. “To motivate them to do their best as individuals and grow as people – but totally within the structure of a complex team game – has always been a challenge worth accepting. I hope I’ve made a difference for the people I’ve been privileged to coach.”
Johanningmeier’s first challenge at MSU was restoring the Bears back atop the MIAA; they hadn’t enjoyed that status since 1966. By his third year, he succeeded, rolling to a 6-0 league title season in 1978. The Bears had the league’s best overall and conference records during Johanningmeier’s MIAA years.
The next challenge was soon at hand as Missouri State athletics moved from NCAA Division II to Division I status and football became a I-AA sport in the Mid-Continent Conference. (The Football Championship Subdivision, or FCS, is now the name for I-AA).
Playing against an elevated level of competition, the Bears punched up individual and team statistics among the national leaders, including 1983 FCS pass interception leader Mike Armentrout, 1984 FCS rushing average leader Keith Williams and high national rankings in rushing defense, rushing offense, total offense and scoring offense.
“I’ve always believed that successful teams have to excel at running the football and also stopping the run,” Johanningmeier observes.
Johanningmeier moved to the first of two stints with the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1985 after posting a 58-44-5 record in his tenure with the Bears. He was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988, and his number was retired in 2010 in the inaugural such recognition for Missouri State football.
With the NCAA, Johanningmeier worked in the Enforcement Department as an infractions investigator for a total of 19 years. His tenure included processing 12 major infractions cases, and he served as the NCAA staff liaison to the American Football Coaches Association, the U.S. Army All-American Football Game and two major summer basketball events.
He also served on the NCAA Council, the NCAA Legislative Review Committee, the NCAA Research Committee and was chair of NCAA committees on initial eligibility waivers and interpretations.
His knowledge and experience within college athletics and his careful attention to detail served him well in his years with the NCAA.
“The rich heritage of intercollegiate athletics has been strong in this country for well over a century, and it’s stayed that way because of a commitment to integrity by its participants,” says Johanningmeier. “Understanding that aspect of athletics was always my motivation for bringing a positive approach to every school with which I worked.”
In 1995, College Sports Magazine named Johanningmeier “one of the most important people in college sports.”
With assistant coaching stops at American International College, University of Vermont and University of Connecticut before returning to Missouri State as head coach, Johanningmeier interrupted his NCAA time with five years as director of athletics at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan.
Johanningmeier retired from the NCAA in 2012 and moved back to Springfield. He and his wife, Janet, have two children, son Tom and daughter Lynn, and four grandchildren.
— Story by Mark Stillwell, photos courtesy of Missouri State Sports Information Department
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Missouri Sports Hall of Fame’s
NFL Kickoff Sports Enthusiasts Luncheon presented by Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper
When: 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28
Where: University Plaza Convention Center, Springfield
What: Induction of former Kansas City Chiefs receiver Eddie Kennison; former Missouri State University football All-American and coach Rich Johanningmeier; and former Carrollton High School coach Stan Kee. Elite 11, group of former high school and college standouts, also to be recognized.
Elite 11: defensive lineman Brett Potts (Bolivar, Pittsburg State); quarterback Eric Czerniewski (Montgomery County, Central Missouri); lineman Rusty Shadel (Lebanon, Missouri State); running back Rex Sawyer (Ava, Missouri Valley College); linebacker Steve Forbis (Republic, Missouri Southern); defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams (Mizzou); punter/quarterback Chuck Blair (Camdenton, Central Missouri); kicker Jeremy Flores (Willard, Colorado); defensive back T.J. Onstott (Lamar, Missouri Southern); split end Steve Newbold (Aurora, Missouri State); and running back Justin Gerald (Hillcrest, Central Methodist).
Tickets: $40 for individual seat; $400 for a table of eight, with associate sponsorship recognition in the printed program. $100 for seat at head table.
Contact: Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, 417-889-3100.