Georgia tight end's coach David Johnson was named offensive line coach of the West Virginia University football team by head coach Bill Stewart on Wednesday.

Johnson, who spent seven years in Georgia under Mark Richt, returns to West Virginia, where he was a four-year letterwinner in the 1980s.

"I'm excited that David is coming back home to rejoin the Mountaineer football family," Stewart said according to a press release. "He brings an extensive knowledge of the game and years of experience that will be an asset to our program.

"David has all the intangibles you look for in a coach -- leadership, charisma and loyalty. He pays complete attention to detail, has an outstanding ability to communicate effectively and has an exceptional ability to stress the fundamentals to the players. I look forward to working with him for years to come."

Johnson is the first positions coach that Stewart has hired so far which includes Steve Dunlap (Assistant HC/S), Chris Beatty (RB), David Lockwood (CB) and John "Doc" Holliday (Associate HC/Recruiting Coordinator/TE-FB).

"I am excited to come back 'home' to West Virginia University and work on an outstanding staff that Bill Stewart is putting together," Johnson, a Pittsburgh native, said in a press release. "The reasons that I am coming to West Virginia are the same reasons that I went there as a student-athlete years ago. The University is an outstanding institution with a tremendous amount of potential, both academically and athletically.

"I am thrilled to return to the great state of West Virginia and be supported by one of the greatest fan bases in the country."

Johnson helped turn a number of players into NFL prospects including Randy McMichael, Ben Watson and Leonard Pope and is considered a good recruiter.

"This is a bittersweet day in some respects," Richt said in a press release. "Dave Johnson was part of our original staff here at Georgia, and he and his family have been a blessing to our program.

"At the same time, we're excited for the opportunity he has in returning to his alma mater. Everything he has done at Georgia has been done with excellence, and we wish him and his family the very best. We will certainly miss them."

Prior to moving to Georgia with Richt, Johnson was the recruiting coordinator, tight end's coach and offensive tackle's coach at Marshall for four years. Before that, he coached at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Shippensburg (Pa.).

He was a graduate assistant for the Mountaineers in the 1984-85 seasons.

Johnson started at center in the 1981 Peach Bowl and the 1982 Gator Bowl for WVU.

See more at http://sports.yahoo.com