Rich Johanningmeier

Richard A. Johanningmeier (born 1943) is a retired American football player and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Southwest Missouri State University—now known as Missouri State University from 1976 to 1985 and Illinois College from 1995 to 1997, compiling a career college football coaching record of 64–65–5^[1][2]

Johanningmeier played college football at Southwest Missouri State as a tackle. He then played professionally with the Springfield Acorns of the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) and the Hartford Charter Oaks of the Continental Football League (COFL).^[3] In 1965, Johanningmeier taught special education at Chestnut Junior High School in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was a part-time football coach at Springfield's Technical High School. He was an assistant football coach at American International College in Springfield, before going to the University of Vermont in 1968. He served as offensive line coach at Vermont for three seasons, and then returned, in 1971, to American International as an assistant coach. In 1969, Johanningmeier received a master's degree in education from Springfield College.^[4] Johanningmeier was the offensive coordinator at the University of Connecticut for two seasons, from 1974 to 1975. He succeeded Don Cross as head football coach at his alma mater, Southwest Missouri State, in 1976.^[5]