First year North Texas men’s basketball head coach Daniyal Robinson on Wednesday hired veteran coach Kwanza Johnson to his staff as an assistant coach.
Johnson joins the Mean Green after two seasons on Robinson’s staff at Cleveland State and with over 25 years of division one coaching experience. In his coaching career Johnson has won eight conference championships, won seven NCAA Tournament games and recruited and mentored numerous NBA draft picks who have gone on to win multiple NBA championships and an Olympic Gold medal.
During his two years at Cleveland State with Robinson, Johnson helped lead the Vikings to back-to-back 20-win seasons. In his second season in Cleveland the Vikings won 23 games, their most single season wins in 14 years. CSU finished second in the Horizon league regular season standings and made the championship game of the 2025 CBI.
CSU earned 10 total Horizon All-Conference honors in Johnson’s two seasons with the Vikings, including two first team honors in Tristan Enaruna in 2024 and Tevin Smith in 2025.
Cleveland State in 2025 ranked in the top two in the Horizon in offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency. The Vikings won 13 straight games from Dec. 7, 2024 through Jan. 30, 2025, their longest win streak in over 28 years.Prior to his two years at Cleveland State, Johnson served on the staffs at California (2022-23), Tulsa (2019-22), Little Rock (2016-18), TCU (2013-16), Georgia (2009-13), Nevada (2006-09), Eastern Illinois (2005-06) and he got his coaching start at his alma mater Tulsa (1997-05) under Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Self.
While at Georgia from 2009-13, Johnson mentored AP All-American Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who was the 2013 SEC Player of the Year. Caldwell-Pope was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the eighth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. He is a two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and the Denver Nuggets in 2023.
During Johnson’s three-year tenure at Nevada from 2006-09, he coached eventual first round pick, three-time NBA champion and 2020 Olympic gold medalist JaVale McGee.
In total so far, Johnson in his career has mentored nine players who have gone on to be drafted into the NBA: Luke Babbitt, Caldwell-Pope, Nick Frazekas, Armon Johnson, Travis Leslie, McGee, Michael Ruffin, Ramon Sessions and Trey Thompkins.
Johnson also coached current Oklahoma City Thunder Kenrich Williams while at TCU from 2013-16. Williams, whose number was retired by the Horned Frogs, wasn’t drafted but has played seven seasons in the NBA and in 2023 earned a veteran extension contract.
Johnson got his coaching career started in 1997 on Bill Self’s first Golden Hurricane staff. Two years later, Johnson was part of the staff that led Tulsa to a historic 32-win season and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and finished the year ranked No. 18.
An Oklahoma City native, Johnson played in college first at Rose State College where he was one of the top junior college players in Oklahoma. In 1993 he transferred to Tulsa to play for legendary head coach Tubby Smith. Johnson was a catalyst that ended the Golden Hurricane’s NCAA Tournament win drought as he led his team to two Missouri Valley Conference titles and to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances as its captain and all-league performer.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from TU in 1995 before adding a Juris Doctor degree from the TU College of Law in 1999. He and his wife, Kim, have three children: Kaitlyn, Kendall and Kalli.
https://meangreensports.com/news/2025/4/16/mens-basketball-hires-kwanza-johnson-to-coaching-staff
