University of Arizona Vice President and Director of Athletics Dave Heeke announced the hiring of Wes Johnson as Arizona Triathlon’s first-ever head coach in December of 2022. Johnson has spent the previous nine years as National Team Coach for USA Triathlon across a variety of elite international competitions, including World Championships, Paralympic Games and Pan American Championships.
The inaugural season of Arizona Triathlon in 2023 was an overwhelming success under Johnson’s leadership as the program capped the season with a top-five finish at the Collegiate Triathlon National Championships. The Wildcats had a trio of student-athletes in Laura Holánszky, Lydia Russell and Dana Prikrylová all receiving All-American honors from the College Triathlon Coaches Association. Holánszky and Russell fulfilled one of Johnson’s chief tenants of the program; competing at the highest levels. The duo raced at the U23 Triathlon World Championships in Spain in September of 2023 for the United States and Hungarian national teams.
The in-season recruiting during Johnson’s first season as head coach was also marked by elite success. The 2024 recruiting class featured a variety of top domestic and international prospects, highlighted by Margareta Vráblová of Slovakia who was the highest rated European recruit in the entire class.
Johnson has earned a bevy of coaching awards in his career that include being named the 2021 USA Triathlon Developmental Coach of the Year. Two years prior, he earned Paralympic Coach of the Year honors from USA Triathlon and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. His international experience also includes championship success at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where he coached Grace Norman to a gold medal and Chris Hammer to a fourth-place finish.
Since joining USA Triathlon in 2014, Johnson has coached athletes at Junior World Championships, U23 World Championships and Pan American Championships. His coaching experience also features guiding athletes to compete in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawai’i.
After completing his own swimming and triathlon career, the Utah native founded and coached at Balanced Art Multisport (BAM). The organization is one of the nation’s leading triathlon training programs and clubs. Johnson was a member of the University of Utah’s swimming and diving program from 2003 to 2008 while competing in triathlons during summer breaks. His alma mater was also where he began his triathlon coaching career as an instructor for a triathlon class for students before working with Utah’s triathlon club.
A Level 3 certified coach with USA Triathlon for youth, junior and paratriathlon athletes, Johnson also holds coaching certificates from USA Track & Field and the American Swimming Coaches Association. He is a 2008 graduate of the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in International and Global Studies.
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