Veteran collegiate coach Stan Johnson has been named an assistant with the Marquette University men’s basketball program, head coach Steve Wojciechowski announced Tuesday afternoon.
“I am excited to welcome Stan and his family to the Marquette basketball family,” Wojciechowski said. “He is an outstanding person, who has established himself as one of the top young basketball coaches in the country.
“Stan is a tremendous addition to our coaching staff and a tireless recruiter, terrific relationship builder and someone who believes in the values that align with both the University and our men’s basketball program, Wojciechowski added.”
Johnson arrives in Milwaukee after working the previous two seasons at Arizona State and was on the opposing bench in a pair of matchups against the Golden Eagles. The Sun Devils, who went 16-1 at home, participated in the NCAA tournament in 2013-14 in his first campaign with the program and earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament in 2014-15.
“My family and I are extremely excited about being a part of the University and living up to the high standards of its men’s basketball program,” Johnson said. “Ingrained in the fabric of the Marquette family are the very things we believe in – people, tradition, and culture.
“I’m humbled at the opportunity to lock arms with one of college basketball’s great young coaches in Steve Wojciechowski and I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with the great staff that’s already in place,” Johnson added. “Marquette basketball is one of the elite programs in the country and I’m so proud to be a small part of such an amazing place.”
Johnson also spent two seasons (2011-13) at Drake University after a three-year stint at the University of Utah, which advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2009.
During his two seasons at Drake, he helped coach Ben Simons and Joey King to Missouri Valley Conference honors with Simons earning All-MVC second-team honors each of the final two seasons and King earning all-freshman honors in 2012-13.
In Johnson’s first season with the Bulldogs in 2011-12 he helped guide Drake to its second-highest conference finish (tied for third) since 1986, and a victory in the postseason for the first time since 1975. Two Bulldogs were named second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference (Simons and Rayvonte Rice), and Simons was named captain of the MVC’s Most Improved Team.
During his three-year stay at Utah, Johnson was part of a staff that coached the Utes in 2008-09 to a 24-10 record, a share of the Mountain West Conference Championship and the postseason conference tournament title. Utah finished the season ranked No. 25 in the AP poll and earned a No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region, at the time the highest seed ever given to a Mountain West team.
Johnson came to Utah after a one-year stint as an assistant coach at Cal State Northridge in 2007-08. The Matadors finished 20-10 overall and earned a share of their first Big West Conference regular season championship with Johnson on the staff.
Prior to his year at Cal State Northridge, Johnson spent three seasons (2004-07) on the bench at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. The Bearcats were 50-30 in that period, with three-consecutive winning seasons for the first time in school history. The 2005-06 squad posted a 27-5 record, including a school-record 14 wins in a row to open the season. Southwest Baptist captured the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association title that year and made a trip to the NCAA Division II tournament, finishing No. 6 in the national rankings.
Johnson started his coaching career at Bemidji (Minn.) State University in 2003-04. In his lone season at Bemidji, Johnson helped coach the Beavers to a 20-10 mark and their first-ever 20-win season. Bemidji State was 14-2 in conference play that season, earning a berth to the NCAA Division II tournament and leading the nation in 3-pointers per game, with 11.7.
As a player, Johnson was a three-year letterman at Southern Utah University. He was a team captain and starter in 2000-01 and helped lead the Thunderbirds to the Mid-Continent Conference (now Summit League) title and a berth in the NCAA tournament, where they dropped a close 68-65 decision to No. 3 seed Boston College. Johnson was a three-time member of the Mid-Continent Conference All-Academic Team and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from SUU in 2003.
Johnson played his senior season of college basketball at Bemidji State (2002-03), where he served as a team captain and earned honorable mention all-conference accolades. He averaged 13.5 points and distributed a team-high 114 assists during his one season with the Beavers.
Johnson is a graduate of Taylorsville (Utah) High School. He and his wife Brittany have two children, Brooklyn and Myles.
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