Adam Johnson (volleyball)

Adam Johnson (born January 31, 1965) is an American former professional beach volleyball player. In total, he won 44 beach volleyball tournaments, and won about $1,700,000 in prizes in his career. 16 of his tournament wins were with volleyball legend Karch Kiraly as his partner.

High school
Johnson played volleyball, soccer, and football at Laguna Beach High School in Laguna Beach, California. As a punter, he averaged 42.7 yards per punt.

College
Johnson played college volleyball for the University of Southern California (USC). He was a three-time All-American while playing for the Trojans. In 1986, he was selected as the NCAA Player of the Year by Volleyball Monthly. He graduated in 1987 with a degree in communication.

National team
After college, Johnson briefly played as an outside hitter for the United States national volleyball team, but was unable to compete in the 1988 Summer Olympics due to an ankle injury just before the tournament.

Beach volleyball
As a beach volleyball player, Johnson became one of the biggest stars in the AVP in the 1990s. In 1991, he was selected as the Most Improved Player in the AVP. In 1994, he won the prestigious Manhattan Beach Open with partner Randy Stoklos, earning him the "King of the Beach" title. He was selected as the Best Defensive Player of the AVP in 1993 and 1997. In 1998, with partner Kiraly, Johnson was the top-seeded player in the AVP. In 1999, with partner Kiraly, Johnson again achieved the top-seeded ranking in the AVP, and helped Kiraly establish a record for most tournament wins. He retired in 2000, and then briefly made a comeback in 2005.

Johnson was inducted into the California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) Hall of Fame in 2012.

Coaching
Since retiring, Johnson has offered volleyball instruction through the Adam Johnson Volleyball Academy.