Loyola Marymount University has named Stan Johnson as its new men’s basketball head coach, Athletic Director Craig Pintens announced Friday.

“Stan has a tremendous vision for the future of LMU men’s basketball, and he has the distinct ability to connect with and inspire student-athletes on and off the court,” said Pintens.

Johnson brings an impressive record and valuable experience to LMU after five seasons with Marquette University, most recently as associate head coach for men’s basketball. There, he helped lead the Golden Eagles to three postseason appearances, including two trips to the NCAA tournament in 2016-17 and 2018-19. 

“I’d like to thank Craig Pintens and President Snyder for such an amazing opportunity,” said Johnson. “I’m truly honored and blessed to be the head coach at one of the elite academic institutions in the country.” 

With Division I coaching experience at Arizona State University, Drake University, University of Utah, and Cal State Northridge, Johnson built a record of success that includes numerous postseason victories and conference championships. Johnson began his career as an assistant coach at Bemidji (Minn.) State University and Southwest Baptist University, where each team made the NCAA Division II tournament. 

“Stan’s values and ideals are aligned with our mission to support and develop student-athletes for the pursuit of athletic and academic excellence and the growth of the whole person,” said Pintens. “We’re thrilled to welcome him and his family to the bluff and we’re excited to see his leadership propel the Lions to even greater success.”

As a player, Johnson was a three-year letterman at Southern Utah University, where he was a team captain and helped lead the Thunderbirds to the Mid-Continent Conference (now Summit League) title and a berth in the NCAA tournament. He was a three-time member of the Mid-Continent Conference All-Academic Team and earned his bachelor’s degree in communication from Southern Utah in 2003. Johnson played his senior season of college basketball at Bemidji State, where he served as a team captain and earned honorable mention all-conference accolades. 

“As the caretaker of this program, I’m beyond thankful to all our former players and coaches for all the effort they’ve poured into LMU basketball over the years,” Johnson said. “We stand on their shoulders as we advance LMU to higher heights. I’m most excited by the opportunity to connect, coach, and develop our current and future players, in order to create a program that our fans, university and community can all be proud of. We have a tremendous opportunity, in one of the best leagues in America, to do something special. I’m excited to attack that challenge together.”

Johnson and his wife Brittany have three children, Brooklynn, Myles and Braylon.

https://lmulions.com/news/2020/3/20/lmu-names-stan-johnson-mens-basketball-head-coach.aspx