Johns Hopkins University Athletics

After a 14-year association with the Johns Hopkins football program, Greg Chimera was named head coach on February 22, 2019.  Chimera, who had served as the Blue Jays’ offensive coordinator since 2014 before being promoted, is the 27th head coach in program history.  He succeeded Jim Margraff, the program’s all-time winningest coach, who passed away suddenly on January 2, 2019.  Chimera now serves as the James F. Margraff Head Coach of Football at Johns Hopkins.

In three complete seasons at the helm (the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID), Chimera has guided Johns Hopkins to a 28-6 (.824) record, one Centennial Conference title, one trip to the NCAA Playoffs and two Centennial-MAC Bowl victories.

The 2021 season saw the Blue Jays post a 10-2 record with a share of the Centennial title and an appearance in the second round of the NCAAs.  Hopkins, which ended the season with final national rankings of 13th (AFCA) and 14th (D3football.com), produced three All-Americans and a national-record eight CoSIDA Academic All-Americans on the year.

Chimera and the Blue Jays followed that up with an equally-impressive 2022 campaign that saw them finish 10-1 with a decisive victory over local rival Stevenson in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series.  Johns Hopkins again led the nation with six Academic All-Americans and had a program-record five players earn All-America honors.

In his first season at the helm (2019), Chimera guided the Blue Jays to an 8-3 record and a 51-28 victory at Stevenson in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series; the eight wins are the most ever for a first-year Johns Hopkins coach.  With a 17-12 win at Randolph-Macon in the 2019 season opener, Chimera also became the first Johns Hopkins head coach in 99 years to earn a win in his debut (Ray Van Orman - 1920).

Chimera spent 10 seasons as a member of the Blue Jay coaching staff prior to being elevated to head coach, including five as the team’s offensive coordinator (2014-18).  He originally joined Margraff’s staff not long after completing a four-year playing career at Johns Hopkins (2005-08).

Johns Hopkins has enjoyed the greatest run in program history since Chimera joined the staff in 2009.  In the 13 seasons since then, Johns Hopkins has posted a 130-23 (.850) record, won 11 Centennial Conference titles (2009-18, 2021), advanced to the NCAA Playoffs 10 times and lost a total of 13 regular season games.

The Blue Jays completed the greatest season in school history in 2018 with a 12-2 record, their 10th straight Centennial title and the program’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Semifinals.  Johns Hopkins, which set a school record with its 12 wins, also earned the program’s first-ever Lambert Cup Trophy in 2018.

Chimera’s offense played a large role in that success as Johns Hopkins averaged 550.3 yards and 45.8 points per game in 2018.  Both of those marks were school records and the Blue Jays ranked second in the nation in total offense and sixth in scoring offense.  Johns Hopkins’ fast-paced offense ran more plays (1,051) for more yards (7,704) than any other team in the nation on its way to the national semifinals.  In fact, the 7,704 yards the Blue Jays generated were 1,027 more than any other Division III team accumulated in 2018.

In his first season as the offensive coordinator in 2014, Johns Hopkins averaged 37.2 points and 434.4 yards per game and scored at least 27 points in 10 of 12 games and 21 or more in all 12 games.  Making these numbers even more impressive was the fact that Chimera had a first-year starting quarterback and four new starters on the offensive line to develop.  His unit topped even those lofty numbers in 2015 as the Blue Jays set then school records for points (45.7) and yards (505.8) per game while producing the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

The 2016 team set then school records for total yards (6,121), yards per game (510.1), passing yards (4,106) and touchdown passes (37).  In addition, eight offensive players earned All-Centennial Conference honors, including four who grabbed first team accolades.

The 2017 Blue Jays enjoyed another highly-productive season as Johns Hopkins averaged 39.5 points and 505.7 yards per game.  The Blue Jays produced the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year and scored at least 28 points in 10 of 11 games.  That set the stage for the record-breaking 2018 season as the achievements of 2017 were accomplished by a young group of skill-position players.

Chimera’s grooming for the offensive coordinator position came during a five-year period that jump-started the most successful era in school history.

As a position coach from 2009-13, Chimera coached two All-Centennial running backs in Andrew Kase (2009) and Jonathan Rigaud (2011, 2012), one All-CC tight end in Brian Hopkins (2009) and one All-Centennial wide receiver (Dan Wodicka - 2013). Kase and Rigaud graduated as the top two rushers in school history with more than 7,500 yards and 80 touchdowns between them.

In his first season as a member of the staff in 2009, he helped guide the Blue Jays to a 10-3 record, the Centennial Conference Championship and a trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals. That year, he worked closely with Kase, who earned Centennial Offensive Player of the Year honors and finished his career as JHU’s career leader in rushing.

Chimera then groomed Rigaud, who capped his career in 2012 by earning D3football.com All-America and Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors with more than 1,500 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns.

Chimera played fullback and was a regular on special teams throughout his career at Johns Hopkins. He paved the way over his last two years for Kase to top 1,000 rushing yards in each season. Chimera scored five touchdowns in his career and started 16 games over his final two seasons.

Chimera graduated from Johns Hopkins in 2009 with a degree in psychological and brain sciences and a minor in entrepreneurship and management and was named to the National Football Foundation’s Hampshire Honor Society as a senior.

Chimera and his wife, Allison, reside in nearby Towson with their son, Teddy.