Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is a rising star in the coaching profession who is entering his third season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Thiel.
A Youngstown, Ohio native, Johnson-Koulianos had an electric high school highlight film. He was a three-time First Team All-State quarterback at Northeastern Ohio powerhouse Youngtown Cardinal Mooney High School. He was selected to participate in the Ohio vs. Pennsylvania “Big 33 All-Star Game” and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. In fact, Johnson-Koulianos remains the only player to have a rushing, passing, and receiving touchdown in the history of the game.
Johnson-Koulianos became a standout wide receiver at the University of Iowa, where he was a four-year starter. He left the Hawkeyes’ program as the school’s all-time leader in receptions (173) and receiving yards (2,616) while ranking third all-time in touchdown receptions (17) and fifth in all-purpose yards (4,231). He is still the Big 10’s all-time leader – dating back to 1976 – in career yards per kickoff return (26.3).
In 2010, he was named to the pre-season watch list for both the Paul Hornung and Fred Biletnikoff Awards and was an Honorable Mention All-American by College Football Insiders. Johnson-Koulianos also led the Big 10 – and ranked eighth nationally – with a 29.3 yards per-return average in 2010. That season, he was named a First Team All-Big 10 Coaches selection.
Some highlights during his career at Iowa:
• November 8, 2008: Helped the Hawkeyes upset third-ranked Penn State, 24-23, at Kinnick Stadium. Had eight catches – all of which went for first downs – and registered a touchdown.
• November 22, 2008: Registered seven catches for 181 yards and a touchdown in a big win against Minnesota in what would be the final game in the Metrodome.
• November 9, 2009: Was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
• November 14, 2009: Returned to his home state of Ohio and took a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the Horseshoe. That season, he helped Iowa to an 11-2 record which ended with a 24-14 Orange Bowl victory over Georgia Tech.
• October 16, 2010: Caught three touchdown passes against Michigan at the Big House to lift Iowa to a 38-28 victory over the Wolverines.
• November 27, 2010: Posted a touchdown reception and returned a kickoff 88 yards for a score in his final game with the Hawkeyes at Minnesota.
Johnson-Koulianos graduated from Iowa in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in interdepartmental studies with a focus on recreational management, coaching.
In 2014, he began his coaching career by serving as the offensive coordinator at Valley Forge Military Academy. In 2015, he moved on to King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he mentored the running backs. After leaving King’s College, Johnson-Koulianos moved to Philadelphia and helped the tight ends at Imhotep Charter. He spent the two years coaching the quarterbacks and wide receivers at La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. Derrell was the Quarterbacks Coach at Bloomsburg from 2020 through December 2021.
Johnson-Koulianos is the son of Lauren and Tony Koulianos. He has three brothers – Stephen, Peter, and Anthony. He and his fiancé, Kayla, have two boys Jaxon and Jett.
