Toby Johnson

Bio

Toby Johnson is the Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach for the Orlando Pirates. Johnson brings a player-first mentality, championship experience and a relentless standard of excellence to the organization.

This is his second season on the staff with the Pirates. In 2025 Johnson served as  Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator.

In his first season as a coach, Johnson made an immediate impact, leading a dominant defensive unit that was the top ranked run defense in the Indoor Football League. The Pirates finished number one in total defense, allowing just 199.6 yards per game; the only team in the league to hold opponents under 200 yards per contest. Under Johnson, the Pirates also led the league with 25 sacks while surrendering only 63.9 yards per game.

A native of Moorhead, Mississippi, Johnson grew up in College Park, Georgia. Before joining the Pirates, he attended Hutchinson Community College, where he earned First Team All-Conference honors in back-to-back seasons. In 2013, he was rated the number one overall recruit in the country before continuing his career at the University of Georgia. During his senior season with the Bulldogs, Johnson led the defensive front in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks.

In 2015, Johnson went undrafted but signed with the Tennessee Titans as a priority free agent. He went on to spend four seasons in the NFL, competing with six organizations: the Titans, Jaguars, Bears, Vikings, Panthers and Lions. During Johnson's first three seasons he graded out top 5 at his position according to Pro Football Focus.

Johnson first joined the Pirates in 2019 as a player appearing in ten games and recording nine sacks, ten tackles for loss, and two interceptions, earning him the team's Defensive Lineman of the Year honors. In 2020, he was drafted by the New York Guardians of the XFL and appeared in all five games before the season was cut short due to COVID-19. He totaled 13 tackles with two tackles for loss and an interception.

He returned to the Pirates in 2021 and played a key role in securing the first championship in franchise history. That season, he earned First Team All-IFL honors, finishing with 61 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and four sacks, while anchoring one of the league’s most dominant defenses.

Johnson continued his professional career in the USFL, where he was drafted by the New Jersey Generals in 2022 and 2023. He earned First Team All-League honors in both seasons, becoming one of only two players in league history to achieve back-to-back selections. In 2022, he recorded 41 tackles, had eight tackles for loss, three sacks and one interception, helping New Jersey to be the league’s top-ranked defense. In 2023, he added 42 tackles, four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Following the USFL-UFL merger in 2024, Johnson was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks. He appeared in three games, totaling 12 tackles, one sack and three tackles for loss before his season was cut short due to injury. In 2025, Johnson retired as a player from professional football and returned to the Pirates to begin his coaching career full-time.