MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia University football coach Neal Brown has announced the hiring of Rafael Horton as the assistant head coach for football strength and conditioning and former Mountaineer and NFL fullback/tight end Will Johnson as the director of player and alumni relations.

"Rafael did an outstanding job as a member of our football staff at Troy, and he brings a lot of experience here to West Virginia," Brown said. "Will played here at West Virginia and in the NFL and has a passion for the University, the football program and the state. It's always great to have former players on your staff. These guys will play important roles in the development of our student-athletes, and I am excited to have them as part of the Mountaineer Football Family."

Horton, who holds numerous certifications, including NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) and CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists), comes to West Virginia from Troy, where he served as the football strength and conditioning coach for the past four years. The Trojan program enjoyed a successful four-year period with Horton on Brown's staff, compiling a 35-16 record, winning the 2017 Sun Belt Conference championship, tying for the 2018 Sun Belt Eastern Division Championship and won three straight bowl games.

Horton's other certifications are with the United States Association of Weightlifting in sports performance, the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a performance enhancement specialist and the National Association of Speed and Explosion.

At West Virginia, Horton will assist head coach for football strength and conditioning Mike Joseph in the administration, management and supervision of strength training and conditioning for the football program.

Prior to his tenure at Troy, he spent two years as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Kentucky (2013-15), also on the same staff with Brown. While at Kentucky, he worked with current Pittsburgh Steeler Bud Dupree, Baltimore Raven Zadruis Smith and Tennessee Titan Avery Williamson.

Before Kentucky, Horton spent five years at Fort Valley State as an assistant strength and conditioning coach and linebacker coach for one year before being promoted to the strength and conditioning coordinator. As head of the department, he was responsible for supervising the strength and conditioning staff for all 11 varsity sports and cheerleading. He was also the university's fitness instructor, developing fitness programs to help promote a healthier lifestyle for students, faculty and staff members.

In 2011, he created his own company, Grindtime Fitness and Performance, in which he provided personal training services. He has trained numerous professional athletes, including NFL players Jason Thompson (Green Bay Packers), Marquette King (Oakland Raiders), Dionte Dinkins (St. Louis Rams), Ricardo Lockette (San Francisco 49ers), Narda Williams (Detroit Lions) and Darnell Burks (New York Giants).

The Barnesville, Georgia, native received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Fort Valley State in 2010 and his master's degree in exercise science from California University of Pennsylvania in 2011. 

At West Virginia, Johnson's position will function as a player development liaison with the football student-athletes, giving attention to their off-the-field activities. He will be a daily presence at study halls, mandatory meals and in the weight and training rooms.

Johnson will be the program's liaison to the athletics department's sports psychologist, the counseling center, campus/city law enforcement, student service/conduct and drug and alcohol assistance.

He will maintain and oversee student-athlete housing, coordinate and assist the student-athletes in finding employment. Johnson will assist the head coach with leadership groups and activities and assist the head coach with player discipline. He will oversee assigning mentors to at-risk student-athletes and facilitate mental health education.

In his role in alumni relations, Johnson will continue cultivating relationships with former Mountaineer players, will coordinate alumni events and reunions and will oversee the NFL Care Package program.

In 2018, Johnson was a graduate assistant coach with the WVU strength and conditioning staff, primarily working with the football program. He assisted in developing the student-athletes in the areas of linear speed, Olympic lifting, power training, resistance training, functional movement and rehabilitation.

Prior to that, Johnson played fullback and tight end in the National Football League with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2012-16) and the New York Giants (2016-18). He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Steelers and was their starting fullback for four years, helping lead them to the AFC North title in 2014.

Johnson was a four-year letterwinner for West Virginia from 2007-10, helping the Mountaineers win two Big East Conference titles and make four bowl appearances, including earning two wins. He graduated from WVU with a bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary studies in 2011 (business management, sport and exercise psychology, small business entrepreneurship).

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Johnson, and his wife Jessica, have two children, Owen and Wyatt.