The Roanoke College football team announced two new assistant coaches Friday, Tony Spradlin as the recruiting coordinator/wide receiver coach, and Gerard Johnson as the special teams and cornerbacks coach.
Spradlin, originally from Salem, VA, is a Salem High School graduate where he was a two-time state champion, and earned all-state honors as a wide receiver and punt returner. Spradlin played football at Concord University and Christopher Newport University where he was an all-conference wide receiver. He earned his Bachelor’s degree (History) from Concord University and his Master’s degree (Education) from Radford University.
“I am excited to have Tony joining our staff as the wide receivers coach,” said head coach Bryan Stinespring. “Tony is a Salem guy and a terrific coach. I interviewed him a couple years ago and was impressed by him as a person and coach. He has a great rapport with players and is quickly becoming a good recruiter.”
Prior to coming to Roanoke, Spradlin spent the last four years as the offensive coordinator at Glenvar High School in Salem VA, and as the passing game coordinator and co-special teams coordinator for two years prior to that, while also coaching multiple position groups in his tenure. In his time at Glenvar, the offenses averaged 39 points per game, were routinely ranked in the top 10 in the state in passing yardage, and set school records for single-season passing yardage and passing touchdowns. Spradlin helped coach multiple quarterbacks, wide receivers and kick returners selected to the All-State team, while winning three straight district championships.
“My family and I could not be more excited to get going and be a part of something special here at Roanoke College,” said Spradlin. “Coach Stinespring has done a tremendous job of putting together a staff that are not only extremely knowledgeable and accomplished football coaches, but are even better people, with whom I am very excited to work. As a Salem native, I know how important football is to this area, and our goal is to build this program the right way, and produce a product of which Roanoke College, the Roanoke Valley, and beyond, can be proud both on and off the field. GO NOKE!”
Johnson previously served as the head coach and offensive coordinator for the Caroline High School Cavaliers for two seasons. During his tenure at Caroline High School, the Cavs scored more points in two years than they had in the previous five seasons prior to his arrival. He fostered an offense that featured six All-District and All-Region athletes. In his first season ever as a head coach, the school won its first playoff game since 1993. In 2021, he was voted as the Battlefield District Coach of the Year and the Free-Lance Star All-Area Coach of the Year.
“I talked to several coaches in the college and high school profession regarding Gerard,” said Stinespring. “Each coach had great things to say about him. As a former head coach in the Richmond area, he brings a lot of ties in recruiting to Roanoke.”
Before moving to Caroline in 2021, Coach Johnson served as an assistant coach at Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown, Pa. Prior to Roberts High School he was an assistant coach at L.C. Bird High School in Chesterfield, Va. for four years. In that span Johnson worked with the quarterbacks, running backs, defensive backs and served as the strength & conditioning coach.
In 2018, he mentored US Army All-American Jaden Payoute, who signed with Virginia Tech. He also mentored 4-Star rated running back (by Rivals.com), Ramon Brown who later attended the University of Maryland.
He is a 2013 graduate of Meadowbrook High School in Richmond Va. and attended Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University and completed his B.A. in Communication in
- While at ODU/NSU, Coach Johnson started at running back as a freshman. To this day, he holds the record at ODU for the longest run in school history.
“My family and I couldn’t be more excited about having the opportunity to be a part of something special here at Roanoke College,” said Johnson. “I look forward to working under the leadership of Coach Stinespring with one of the best coaching staffs in Division III football.”
