Lars Johansson comes from the northern Swedish town of Piteå, about 80 km north of Skellefteå. There, he went from head coach of the U20 elite juniors to general manager of the 1st team in 2008 and led them from the second-highest Swedish league to the top of the SHL. In 2013, Johansson won the Swedish championship with the traditional club for the first time in 35 years, and in 2014 Skellefteå AIK defended the title.

From 2016 onwards, Johansson stood alongside Hans Wallson for one and a half seasons behind the ZSC Lions, after which he moved to SKA St. Petersburg (KHL) and worked as a team consultant. Last summer, he returned to his home country to Rögle BK and was assistant coach there until December.

"Lars knows the field hockey business from different perspectives. He can draw on experience from working with the best players in top leagues and is regarded as a proven promoter of young players," says General Manager Reto Kläy about the 52-year-old. "He thus fits perfectly into our philosophy of integrating talents from our own youth into the 1st team." With the signing of the Swede, the coaching staff around Head Coach Dan Tangnes (until 2026) is complete with Michael Liniger (Assistant Coach, 2025), Lars Johansson (2025) and Simon Pfister (Goalie Coach, 2024).