Who is ​​Dalilah Muhammad’s Coach? Everything to Know About Lawrence “Boogie” Johnson

Dalilah Muhammad has emerged as one of the dominant forces in the track and field realm. Specializing in the 400m hurdles category, Muhammad had a lot of success to her name. She won the gold medal in Rio and followed it up with a silver medal in Tokyo 2020. Besides her Olympic heroics, Muhammad has a couple of World Championships gold medals to flaunt. She won both of them back in 2019. Thus, there is no doubt that Dalilah Muhammad has established herself as a stalwart in the track and field realm. However, looking at her dominance, fans might be curious to know who is the coaching mastermind behind the phoenix-like success of Muhammad. Well, here’s the answer.

Meet Lawrence “Boogie” Johnson: Marileidy Paulino’s coach

Lawrence ‘Boogie’ Johnson holds the responsibility of coaching Dalilah Muhammad. He joined the Arkansas Razorbacks women’s track program back in 2023. Initially, Johnson was appointed as an assistant coach. Owing to his coaching brilliance, Johnson has received the prestigious US Track & Field National Coach of the Year Award twice, in 2013 and 2019. Speaking about the impact Johnson has had on his students can be assessed from the fact that he has several students who went on to become Olympians and World Champions. 

And one of the most notable among them is undoubtedly Dalilah Muhammad. Back in 2019, it was Johnson’s coaching that helped Muhammad set the 400m hurdles world record at the USATF Championships and further trimming the time in Doha. Apart from Muhammad, other notable names that he has coached are Brianna Rollins McNeal, Kristi Castlin, Anna Cockrell, and more. Surely, with so much talent oozing, it is only normal that Lawrence ‘Boogie’ Johnson will receive some significant awards and accolades. 

Lawrence “Boogie” Johnson’s career highlights and achievements

Over the years, Lawrence ‘Boogie’ Johnson has had several coaching stints. He served as the Assistant head women’s coach at Virginia Tech for a year back in 2007-08. After relinquishing his duties at Virginia, Johnson took up the role of the Director of Track and Field at Clemson University. He served in the position from 2008 until 2013. 

Owing to his impeccable coaching talents, Johnson received a host of accolades. Most recently, he was adjudged as both the USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2024. Moreover, Johnson also won the USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor Southeast Region Women’s Coach Of The Year consecutively from 2010 to 2012. 

However, that was not all. Johnson was also a fantastic athlete and led his team to many memorable victories. Back in the day, Johnson competed as a sprinter for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He contributed to four SEC championships and was also part of the 1998 NCAA Outdoor National Championship team. Meanwhile, despite having coached a host of talented athletes, Lawrence ‘Boogie’ Johnson prefers to call Daliah Muhammad the smartest of them all. Why? Let’s find out. 

Why does Boogie Johnson call Dalilah Muhammad one of his smartest athletes?

Dalilah Muhammad isn’t just a hurdles champion but a master of self-awareness. As she navigated recovery from a hamstring injury, her relationship with longtime coach Lawrence “Boogie” Johnson became more collaborative than ever. Johnson didn’t dictate her comeback plan. Instead, he trusted Muhammad to lead it.

“He trusts that I know how much my body can handle at the moment,” Dalilah said, describing how Johnson asked her daily what pace she could run, building workouts around her response. During her first session back, she told him she could do 40 seconds for 200 meters. So that’s exactly what they did, on and off, for 16 reps.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 19: Gold medalist, Dalilah Muhammad of the United States, poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women’s 400m Hurdles on Day 14 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 19, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Johnson’s faith in Muhammad’s intuition is rooted in years of working with her. “Dalilah is probably one of the smartest athletes I’ve ever coached,” he told the Los Angeles Times. He even added, “She thinks about the practice session and what it takes to get better.”

That level of insight makes Dalilah Muhammad more than just physically elite. It makes her dangerous. A tactician of her own performance, she’s not blindly following instructions. She’s actively shaped her career step by step. When she steps on the track for Worlds, it’s not just her training that’s coming into play—it’s her mind.

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