– Marist head men’s basketball coach Mike Maker announced the hiring of assistant coach Andy Johnston on Wednesday. Johnston joins the Red Foxes with 27 years of experience in the collegiate and professional ranks.
“We are thrilled to welcome Andy to the Marist men’s basketball family,” Maker said. “His wealth of experience as both a head and assistant coach adds tremendous value to our staff and program.”
Johnston spent the 2013-14 campaign as the head coach of four teams in the Keflavik Basketball Club in Iceland. As a member of the top professional league in the country, Johnston led his teams to an overall record of 82-33. The men’s professional team went 28-10 overall record, good for a second place finish in the regular season, while the women turned in a 20-win season as well overall. Johnston won a pair of Icelandic National Championships in at the men’s and women’s under 21 level as squads compiled records of 17-3 and 17-2, respectively.
During five seasons as an assistant coach at St. Francis, Johnston helped the Terriers to three straight conference tournaments, including a fourth place finish in 2011-12 after they were picked 11th in the preseason poll. Johnston aided in the recruitment of three 1,000-points scorers including Jalen Cannon and Ben Mockford who achieved the feat in three seasons or less. He also helped bring in a pair of All-Rookie Team selections and two all-conference choices.
“I’m excited to join the Marist men’s basketball family and am tremendously grateful and humbled by this opportunity,” Johnston said. “I can’t wait to work with our student-athletes to build a successful program that the campus community and our fans can be proud of both on and off the court.”
During the 2007-08 campaign, Johnston made his first move to Europe and served as the head coach of the PuHu basketball club in Finland. He led the first division professional team to an overall record of 20-8, a fourth place finish in the regular season. His squad led the league in defense, and allowed just 73.7 points per game.
Johnston also made stops at Long Island University as associate head coach (2002-06), Youngstown State University (2000-02), the United States Military academy (1999-2000, 1993-95), American International College (1995-99, 1989-91), Drexel University (1991-93) and the University of New Hampshire (1987-89).
A 1987 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Johnston was a four-year letterwinner and team captain for the Wildcats. He remains the programs all-time leader in three-point field goal percentage (.500) and stands sixth in assists (286). Johnston received a bachelor’s degree in economics.
Maker also announced that Paul Lee has been retained as an assistant coach. Lee will begin his seventh season with the Red Foxes in 2014-15.
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