| Title: | Rodeo Coach |
| Phone: | 817-598-6435 |
| Email: | jemmons@wc.edu |
Johnny Emmons became Weatherford College’s head rodeo coach in 2012. Coach Emmons came to WC in 2005, serving as assistant rodeo coach until 2012. In 2014 and 2018 he was named the NIRA Southwest Region Coach of the Year.
Through 2023, Emmons has coached 70 College National Finals Rodeo qualifiers, 23 regional champions and nine national champions.
A native of Arlington, Emmons grew up in rodeo and the rope business. His grandfather, Pete Emmons, earned a living making ropes and saddles with the Pete Emmons Rope Company in Grand Prairie. His father, Johnny Sr., invented the Nylon Piggin’ String in 1976 and developed some of the first colored and blended lariat ropes that are a staple of today’s rope market.
Johnny started his roping career at age 10 and competed in various junior and high school rodeo associations, including the AJRA, NTHSRA, LSHSRA, THSRA and the NHSRA. He won a Southwest Region team roping title and qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in 1986 while attending Vernon College on a rodeo/baseball scholarship.
Emmons competed professionally from 1988 to 2012. He qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) five times: 1989, 1998 and 2001-2003. A former Texas Circuit all-around and three-time tie-down roping champion, Emmons qualified for the Texas Circuit Finals 20 consecutive years (1988-2007), including five appearances in team roping.
The 1988 PRCA Texas Rookie of the Year, Emmons earned more than $800,000 in career earnings and in 2014 was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.
He graduated from Weatherford College in 2011, earned a Bachelor of Science in Business degree from Tarleton State University and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural and Consumer Resources in 2019.
Emmons lives in Weatherford with his wife, Tonya, and has three children.