Bear Johnson Takes Over As Owner of Michigan, Departs Dallas

In a shocking twist of events, Bear Johnson has shifted to his third team since the start of last season - previously being a member of the Flying Stallions and Shaman. Bear will reportedly be taking the reins as owner of the Michigan Killer Beez. This marks his return to the front office after previously being involved in ownership with the Ohio Shaman. 

Michigan is coming off another season where they advanced to the semi-finals but could not find a way to advance to the GSB Finals. Will Johnson be the missing piece of the puzzle for the Killer Beez who have been knocking on the door since their inception in the GSB? I took some time to discuss the transition and Bear Johnson’s plans for the future of Michigan.

Interview with Bear Johnson

Joey Phillips: What was your experience like in Dallas? Albeit short, do you believe you accomplished your goals with the Flying Stallions? 

Bear Johnson: First off I just wanna say Dallas was an amazing experience… After the unfortunate circumstances in OH I couldn’t dream of a better place to have ended up! Pizzo is a great owner and for my money the best owner in GSB… as far as goals are concerned winning a championship was the only goal when I got to Dallas and I’m really sorry we didn’t get that done! Bear played spectacularly in Dallas though and bringing him along to Michigan is gonna be a huge lift now that Coach Knerr started untapping his potential! 

JP: What led to this transition to Michigan? 

BJ: As far as this transition it honestly just kinda fits… Michigan is close to back home. The ownership team here was looking to take a step back. I was missing the ownership side of things and bam here we are!

JP: What are your future plans for the Michigan front office and team as a whole? 

BJ: The front office is gonna fall on me… I plan to be in total control of player personnel. I will however be looking for a HC! With Riggins stepping down and all that will be on my plate it is gonna be a very important hire. So there will definitely be some shakeup in the front office. 

JP: What are your short term goals for the team? Do you plan to retain many of the potential free agents or load up with draft picks? 

BJ: I think as I dive in here and start to really take a deeper look at the roster things will be on a case by case basis. I know there’s some big names on this roster and I’d be foolish to at least not try to keep a lot of these guys here in Michigan. 

JP: Any final thoughts?

BJ: I just wanna say that I’m beyond excited to start this chapter! I look forward to winning a lot of games in Michigan and hopefully bringing home a title! I’m excited to be back in the owners chair and ready for a fun off-season!

Wrap-Up

Bear’s return to the front office will begin with crucial tasks - most notably naming the next head coach of Michigan. If Johnson can load up his front office with the right pieces, this team should not miss a beat and could very well find themselves in the mix for the title again next season.

*Graphic Credits to Brendan Goshay