After an illustrious sailing career, University of Hawai‘i sailing coach Andy Johnson has decided to retire.
“The job with the sailing team and with all the students that have worked for me these years has really been gratifying,” Johnson said in a story posted by Hawai‘i Athletics on Monday morning. “It's been a pretty cool ride.”
Johnson, who took over as UH's coed sailing head coach in 1989, was the longest tenured head coach on the UH-Mānoa campus prior to his retirement.
A Minnesota native, Johnson was a hockey player for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire before transferring to UH-Mānoa in 1980, seeking a fresh start and warmer weather. He then lettered for the UH sailing team from 1981 to 1983.
During his time with UH, Johnson led the school to two national titles in sailing. The first came in 2001 with the women's team, while the second came with the coed team in 2004. The 2004 national championship arrived during a four-year stretch in which the coed team finished in the top three nationally from 2002 to 2005.
Johnson also coached three Olympians and 17 All-Americans during his time in Mānoa. His daughter, Malia, competed for the Rainbow Wahine from 2024 to 2025, earning All-Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference and academic All-American honors as a senior.
Johnson's career accomplishments were recognized well before his retirement. In 2012, he was named an Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Hall of Famer. In May, the ICSA bestowed him the the Campbell Family Award of Lifetime Service, which recognizes individuals 60 and older and their accomplishments in the sport.
The 2026 UH sailing season wrapped up in May, with the Rainbow Wahine finishing 11th at the ICSA national semifinals in St. Petersburg, Fla.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
