Scherrer stood down from the role at the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (BBSA) on Thursday (September 14), with less than 150 days until the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics.

BBC Sport reported that they had seen his resignation e-mail to athletes and staff.

In the correspondence, the Swiss said he no longer had control over strategy.

Johnston was a member of the British teams at the Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002 and Turin 2006 Winter Olympics and is a 12-time national champion.

He has been part of the BBSA coaching staff since 2010 and was previously in post as ice coach and logistics manager.

“It’s a huge honour to be asked to become the team’s head coach,” said Johnston.

“I have given a large part of my life to the sport and it has given me some wonderful opportunities in return.

"This is another of those and I’ll embrace it with the same passion and commitment that I’ve shown since I started in the Great Britain team in 1995.

“We have an exciting season ahead and a hugely talented group of athletes and I’m looking forward to helping them fulfil their undoubted potential.”

Johnston, who competed as both a pilot and a brakeman, has coached male and female British athletes to medals on the Europa Cup and North American Cup circuits and at World Junior Championships and Youth Olympic Games.

Scherrer followed performance director Gary Anderson to the exit door, who ended an eight year tenure earlier this month.

Anderson, who took a step back from some of his wider duties in mid-July, decided that he needed to devote more time to his family and to his health.

Britain were hoping to gatecrash the podium at Pyeongchang 2018.

Their four-man crew finished fifth at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, just 0.11 seconds away from a bronze medal.