CSUN has named Trent Johnson Interim Head Men’s Basketball Coach, the university announced.
As Johnson leads the Matadors on an interim basis during the 2021-22 season, the men’s basketball coaching staff will remain on paid administrative leave pending the completion of an internal review of potential rules violations.
A 1983 graduate of Boise State, Johnson owns a 276-264 career record with winning tenures at three of his previous coaching stops. He has been named coach of the year in all three conferences in which he has coached: the Western Athletic Conference (2002-03), Pac-10 (2007-08) and Southeastern Conference (2008-09). Johnson is coming out of retirement for this interim appointment.
Throughout his career, Johnson has a long history of supporting student welfare and achievement. He will bring that focus to the student-athletes at CSUN to ensure their continued success both on and off the court this season.
Johnson is no stranger to the West Coast, having led the Stanford basketball program from 2004-2008, compiling a record of 80-48. He led the Cardinal to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08) and one NIT appearance (2005-06). Johnson was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year following the 2007-08 season that saw the Cardinal finish 28-8 while advancing to the Sweet 16. In his four seasons on the Farm, where he previously worked as an assistant coach from 1996-99, he became the only head coach in program history to guide the Cardinal to the postseason in each of his first four seasons.
He also led Nevada to similar heights in his first head coaching assignment. Johnson revitalized the Wolfpack program during his five-year tenure from 1999-2004. During the 2003-04 season, he led Nevada to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in school history as the Wolf Pack tied a school record with 25 wins. Nevada tied for a share of the WAC regular-season crown for the first time in school history and captured the WAC Tournament Championship.
Johnson returned to the Bay Area in 2019 where he spent two seasons as Deputy Analyst & Director of Player Development at UC Berkeley (2019-21). Prior to his two-year stint at Cal, Johnson served as an assistant coach at Louisville in 2017-18.
Johnson spent four seasons as head coach at both LSU and then TCU. In his first season in Baton Rouge in 2008-09, he guided LSU to a 27-8 overall record and the SEC regular-season championship. His Tiger squad produced the third-most victories in a season in program history. Johnson remained at LSU through 2011-12, when the Tigers posted an 18-15 overall record and an NIT first-round appearance, before he departed for TCU.
