Texas State President Dr. Denise Trauth and Director of Athletics Dr. Larry Teis announced that Terrence Johnson has been named the head coach for the Texas State Men’s Basketball program on Thursday, March 11.
“Not only did Coach Johnson lead our team to a winning season, he led them through the challenges of a pandemic and historic winter storm,” said Dr. Trauth. “He has shown true dedication to his players and to the university, earning the respect of his team and the reputation as a players’ coach. We are very proud of Coach Johnson and our Bobcat men’s basketball team.”
Despite the effects of COVID-19 and winter storm Uri, Coach Johnson led the Bobcats to a 2020-21 Sun Belt Conference Championship title, marking the first regular-season conference title since joining the Sun Belt (2013-14), and the first for the program since winning the 1999 Southland Conference regular-season championship.
“This is an exciting day for Bobcat Basketball. I am thrilled to announce Coach Terrence Johnson as the next men’s basketball coach at Texas State,” said Dr. Teis. “His leadership, effort, and perseverance since he has been a part of our program have been outstanding and we are elated to offer coach a multi-year agreement to lead our young men. Coach Johnson has helped our team to three 20-win seasons over the past five years, and this season, under extremely difficult circumstances, has led our team to its first-ever Sun Belt Conference Championship in men’s basketball and our first basketball conference championship since 1999. Academically, our APR, Team GPA and graduation rates have consistently been some of the best in our league while TJ has been with our program.”
Johnson’s 18 wins in his first season are the most for a Texas State first-year head coach for the men’s basketball program in the Division I era, and the second most all-time at the school trailing Dan Wall who had 20 wins in the 1977-78 season. Johnson was also named the Sun Belt Conference 2020-21 Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year and produced two All-Sun Belt selections this season in junior guards Mason Harrell and Caleb Asberry. Johnson is the third coach in program history to be named a conference Coach of the Year and the first as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
“This is a special day for me and I am certainly humble appreciative of the opportunity,” said head coach Terrence Johnson. “I would like to thank our President Dr. Denise Trauth, Dr. Teis, and Don Coryell for believing in me and entrusting this program into my hands. I want to thank my family. My mother, Dr. Marion Ann Stewart, my father, Mr. Wilfred Johnson, my brothers and sister, along with close family members and friends for continuing to support me through the ups and downs of this season and throughout my career. I also want to thank the fans for their support and thank my staff for doing an amazing job throughout the course of this season. But the credit has to go to these young men for their character and intestinal fortitude for being able to overcome so much over the course of this season. They were flexible and adaptable. I am so proud of them and their accomplishments. They do not get enough credit in what they have been able to do, while also maintaining a level of excellence in the classroom. This is a great group of young men and I would not want to be the head coach of any other team. Texas State is where I want to be and I am excited for the opportunity moving forward.”
Coach Johnson has been with the Bobcats for a total of six years, five of them as an assistant coach. As an assistant, Johnson has recruited two All-Sun Belt selections, highlighted by Nijal Pearson who is the program’s all-time leading scorer, the first Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and first since 1999 (Donte Mathis, Southland Conference), and the first All-American in 41 years (James Patrick, 1952 NAIA All-American). Tre Nottingham is the other All-Sun Belt selection (2019 All-Sun Belt Third Team) and Immanuel King was named to the 2017 All-Sun Belt Tournament team. Other top recruits consist of Quentin Scott, a 2019 Academic Achievement Award winner, and Marlin Davis.
“I am excited about the direction of this program,” added Johnson. “My staff and I will continue to put the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of our student-athletes first. I am proud of the things that this team has accomplished this season, but we are not at all satisfied. We are ready to hit the road recruiting, of course via zoom and telephone, but we are looking forward to finding the right fits to continue our quest to win a Sun Belt championship and earn a NCAA Tournament bid.”
“He has the full support of both our players and administration,” said Teis. “His players supported him 100 percent and you could see that every time we stepped on the floor for a game. With his ability to recruit, his emphasis on physical, emotional, and mental health, and a great coaching staff assisting him, we expect Texas State basketball to continue to win conference championships.”
Prior to joining Texas State in 2015, Johnson coached at Samford University where he mentored three all-conference players, including two players that were named to the 2012 All-Southern Conference Freshman team. He also served as an AAU coach in Houston where he was regarded as one of the most notable AAU coaches in the Southern Region. Johnson is a graduate of Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and earned a Master of Education degree from Prairie View A&M University.
OFFICIAL: Johnson inks multi-year deal at Texas State
