Cioffi Men’s Basketball Head Coach John Becker has announced that Nathan Johnson will join the staff as an assistant coach.
“We kept this addition in the family – literally – with hiring Nathan,” Becker said. Johnson is the brother of former Vermont assistant coach Bryson Johnson, who helped the program earn America East Championships in each of the last two seasons. “Nathan brings a wealth of coaching experience domestically and internationally. He has a strong recruiting and player development pedigree. As I said, we are excited to keep a Johnson on the staff and think Nathan has a chance to be a great addition to our program.”
Johnson comes to Vermont after two seasons as a graduate assistant at Memphis. He supported head coach Penny Hardaway, in all aspects of the basketball program, while assisting and conducting workouts, evaluations, and player development plans. The Tigers made trips to the NCAA Tournament in each season Johnson was on the staff. Last season, Memphis captured its first conference title in 10 seasons, winning the AAC Championship over top-ranked Houston.
Prior to Memphis, Johnson spent several years in China developing 50 of the country’s top basketball prospects as a consultant for Montverde Academy. While overseas, Johnson also served as an assistant coach for the Liaoning Flying Leopards in 2020-21. Responsible for player development and scouting reports, the Flying Leopards finished second in the Chinese Basketball Association with a 45-9 mark.
Before heading overseas, Johnson was the head coach at Orangeville Prep in Ontario for two seasons. Carrying a 98-13 record against the top prep schools in North America, Orangeville was ranked as the No. 1 team in Canada three times. Johnson helped develop four NBA players at Orangeville: Lugentz Dort, Thon Maker, Ignas Brazdeikis, and Oshae Brisset. He was named Canadian High School Coach of the Year twice during his tenure.
Johnson added to Vermont Basketball staff
