Heading into his second season on LSU staff, defensive line coach Bill Johnson has signed a new contract.

Brooks Kubena of The Advocate reports Johnson signed a two-year deal for $550,000 per year, including a one-time $71,500 payment, on Feb. 20.

Not too long ago, Ed Orgeron’s long-term plans for the defensive line position on his staff were unclear, but the situation sorted itself out. In August 2019, then-defensive line coach Dennis Johnson was sidelined after he tore patellar tendons in both knees, initially restricting him to an electric wheelchair. Bill Johnson was brought in as a fill-in defensive line coach while Dennis Johnson moved to an analyst role.

Kubena points out in his article that Orgeron ‘left the door open’ for 2020 back in August:

“We’re going to see what happens. Bill is the defensive line coach for this year. Then we’re going to revisit everything, see what happens. Nothing can tell what happens in college football. So I’m leaving that door open. See what happens at the end.”

When defensive coordinator Dave Aranda departed LSU to become the head coach at Baylor, Dennis Johnson followed him to join the Bears coaching staff. It appears Orgeron was pleased with Bill Johnson’s coaching job this past season as he’s now on a two-year contract with the Tigers.

Per Kubena, who obtained a terms sheet through a records request, Bill Johnson’s buyout “equals out to 100 percent of his remaining total compensation” if he leaves for any coaching position other than an SEC head coaching job. Bill would owe LSU $225,000 if he leaves for any non-head coaching position in the NCAA. He would not owe LSU anything if he becomes a college head coach or takes any coaching position in the NFL. Johnson coached with the New Orleans Saints from 2009 until 2016 and then spent two seasons with the Los Angles Rams before joining the LSU staff in August.