Reggie Johnson watched the Miami Beach Bowl and was attracted to Western Kentucky’s football program.

“Guys were flying around and being athletic,” Johnson said. “They were making plays and were having fun.”

Chris Barclay grew up in Kentucky and thought about playing at WKU when he graduated from Male High School in 2002. Then he spent the last two years coaching against dynamic Hilltoppers squads.

“This program’s like a rocket ship right now,” Barclay said, “how quickly they’re able to generate success here.”

Now Barclay and Johnson get to be a part of the WKU football program. The two coaches were hired last week as assistants on coach Jeff Brohm’s staff, and both met with the media for the first time Wednesday.

Johnson came from Alabama A&M, where he served the last two seasons as defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. Barclay joined the Topper program after two years coaching running backs at Conference USA rival Marshall.

Their specific roles on WKU’s staff have yet to be announced, though Barclay will work with the offense in some capacity, while Johnson will work with coordinator Nick Holt’s defense.

“I’m excited about it,” Brohm said. “I think they’re huge additions to our staff.”

Barclay and Johnson are the first outside hires to fill voids in a Hilltopper staff that was heavily affected this offseason by departures.

Offensive coordinator Tyson Helton, special teams/cornerbacks coach Ricky Brumfield, offensive line coach Neil Callaway, defensive ends coach Ken Delgado and wide receiver/special teams coach Jamarcus Shephard all left for new jobs after helping WKU to a 12-2 record and C-USA title in 2015.

The wide receivers coaching job was filled internally by Bryan Ellis, who coached Hilltopper running backs last season.

Brohm said WKU’s momentum – the Tops have won 16 of their last 18 games dating to the end of 2014 – sparked interest in coaches wanting to fill those vacancies.

“Without question, I think our success on the football field, I think the achievements our players and coaches helped us get these last two years, being on TV a lot, seeing the brand and style we play, the phone’s been ringing off the hook,” said Brohm, entering his third year as WKU’s coach. “I’m very appreciative of all the interest we’ve had. …

“It’s something people are wanting to be a part of and there are tremendous candidates all across the board.”

Johnson called it an “easy decision” to join the Hilltopper staff. The 46-year-old Chicago native has been in college coaching since 1997.

Johnson was a standout linebacker at Louisville from 1987-90, playing on the same team as Brohm, who was the Cardinals’ quarterback.

His career overlapped with Brohm’s again during their time together as assistants at Louisville (2003-07) and UAB (2012). The chance to coach with Brohm again was a big draw to WKU, Johnson said.

“It’s a pleasant atmosphere when he’s around,” Johnson said. “I’m not saying that he’s easy, light or anything like that.

“But coming to work every day with a guy that enjoys doing what he does, the kids feel that, or the players and the young men feel that. It makes for a great working atmosphere. Knowing him had a lot to do with that decision.”

Among the players Johnson has coached over his career are All-American defensive linemen Elvis Dumervil and NFL top-10 draft pick Amobi Okoye (Louisville) and freshman All-American Jerry Franklin (Arkansas).

“Coach Reggie Johnson, I was fired up to get him,” Brohm said. “When I first got the job, I was very close to hiring him and I went in a different direction.

“But now that I get a chance to get him back on I think he’s going to be a huge addition. He gives us in my opinion what we need on the defensive side of the ball. He’s got a presence to him.”

Barclay called it a “homecoming” to join the WKU staff. The Louisville native played at Wake Forest after graduating from Male and is the Demon Deacons’ all-time leading rusher.

He began his college coaching career in 2009 after three years in pro football. He spent the last two years coaching running backs at Marshall, which has become a fierce rival for the Hilltoppers since they joined C-USA in 2014.

WKU has won the teams’ two matchups so far as conference mates.

“We have tremendous respect for Marshall and Marshall has tremendous respect for Western,” Barclay said. “But we’re looking to continue keeping that rivalry one-sided. I look forward to participating in the rivalry and being on the other sideline and hopefully victorious in it.”

Barclay, 32, said he was excited about getting back to his hometown and recruiting Louisville kids to WKU. He mentioned the success that Derby City natives Taywan Taylor (Pleasure Ridge Park) and Ace Wales (Central) have had recently in Topper uniforms.

Brohm, himself a Louisville native, mentioned Barclay’s ties to the city as an asset.

“He relates well with the players,” Brohm said. “He really wants to be here.

“He really wanted to be here for the last couple of years, to be honest with you. We found a way to get it done this year, so I’m excited to get him here.”

Brohm said he’s close to announcing the rest of his staff additions, but that he just has to get perspective coaches on campus and complete background checks first.

Brohm described the last month as “hectic” when it came to sorting through candidates for five full-time openings and said he had to also be “very strategic” in how he went about the search.

“The January period is very fluid and you don’t want to move too soon,” Brohm said. “You don’t want to show your hand. I think people watch what we do a lot in the recruiting world and probably when it comes to coaches.

“… I think you have to be very careful with what you do, be very selective, very strategic. I’m very aware of that and maybe a little paranoid with it. But I want to err on that side rather than the other side.”

— Follow Daily News sports reporter Brad Stephens on Twitter at twitter.com/stephens_brad or visit bgdailynews.com.