Anderson University head men’s basketball coach Jimmie Williams has announced the hiring of Ben Johnson and Micah Parker as assistant coaches.
Williams noted that both coaches went through the interview process and stood out among candidates for the positions. Parker, who was a standout player at North Greenville, spent last season with the USC Aiken men’s basketball program, while Johnson is being retained from the previous staff and will begin his seventh season roaming the sidelines with the Black and Gold.
“We are thrilled to introduce our staff to the Trojan faithful,” said Williams. “These two men exemplify the core values of our program – character, connection, and compelled. They are in coaching for the right reasons and will have an impact on our student-athletes, both on and off the floor. I have looked forward to coming to work every day since the staff was set knowing we get to build this program the right way together. They are both going to huge additions to our campus, community, and most importantly to our players.”
Johnson, who has strong relationships with the players currently on AU’s roster, has helped mentor ten all-conference players, including a SAC Freshman of the Year, an All-Southeast Region honoree, six conference players of the week, and an AU Male Scholar Athlete of the Year to go along with numerous academic all-district honors.
A 2011 graduate of Boiling Springs High School, Johnson was a shooting guard on the 2012-13 Spartanburg Methodist squad that finished the regular season with a perfect 30-0 overall record and earned the No. 1 ranking in the final NJCAA Top 25 Division I National Poll, with a stellar 35-1 record.
He went on to become a member of the first basketball team in school history at Columbia International University (2013-2016) and earned Honorable Mention All-Conference accolades as a junior, while wrapping up his collegiate career with more than 1,000 points and Second-Team All-Conference honors as a senior.
“I am so grateful to work under Coach Williams,” said Johnson. “He is one of the most well-respected coaches in the country at all levels and is an absolute winner. It’s deeper than basketball. He’s a great coach, but he’s a better man – that’s what really separates him from other coaches. I am excited to learn from him and do whatever is needed to help compete for championships. The future of Anderson basketball is bright! The Johnson family can’t wait to get started!”
“Ben and I have hit it off from the jump,” added Williams. “He will play a vital role in all areas on our staff. It’s clear the student-athletes love him here, and that he is genuinely invested in their lives. That matters more to me than any on the court help he will provide. Coach Johnson will be heavily involved in recruiting, scouting, and on-the-court development of our players. I’m so thankful he’s with us. He and his beautiful family have made this transition an easy one to say the least.”
Parker served last season as an assistant coach under Mark Vanderslice at USC Aiken, while helping lead the Pacers to a 17-12 record, including an 11-7 mark in the Peach Belt Conference.
Prior to his time at USC Aiken, Parker served as the head coach with 17U Premier and was the women’s assistant varsity coach at Woodbridge High School in Virginia during the 2020-21 campaign.
Parker was the assistant varsity coach at Osbourn Park High School (Manassas, Va.) for the 2019-2020 season after beginning his coaching career as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator with 17U Premier.
Throughout his coaching career, Parker has handled numerous duties including scouting, film analysis, on-court adjustments, practice planning, evaluating player’s skills and developing training programs for student-athletes of all ages and skill levels.
The Woodbridge, Va., native began his collegiate playing career at Louisburg College, where he helped lead the Hurricanes to a No. 1 national ranking and to the NJCAA Region X title, then played for Williams when the Trojans’ head coach was an assistant at North Greenville. He was named MVP of the 2015 Conference Carolinas Tournament after leading the Crusaders to their first Conference Carolinas title and NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, with NGU posting a school-record 22 wins.
“”I am very excited about joining the Anderson staff, family, and community,” said Parker. “Coach Williams is one of the best coaches, men and mentors that I have ever met. We shared countless special moments together during our time at North Greenville! We made goals, chased goals and made history together. I’m extremely grateful and thankful that Jimmie and his family walked into my life! Coach Williams has changed my life multiple times and I’m excited about this next chapter.”
“This is a special day for our program and for me personally,” said Williams. “It seems like yesterday I was recruiting Micah at North Greenville. He made me work! I called him every day for over a year to finally get a yes from him. Thankfully he didn’t make me do that again. Micah had an immediate impact on our locker room culture at NGU. He was an excellent player that has the ability to make everyone around him better. He is a great combination of competitive and high character. “Micah is a winner in every way. He will be loved on this campus and will be a great asset as a coach and mentor to our players.
Coach Parker and Coach Johnson will complement each other well and will both be heavily involved in all aspects of the program.”
https://autrojans.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/releases/20220823d6yjo0
