COACHING HISTORY
Year | Team | Position on Staff |
1988-2011 1984-1988 1982-1984 1979-1982 1973-1978 1971-1973 1964-1971 1963-1964 |
Utah Jazz Kansas City/Sacramento Kings Utah Jazz Chicago Bulls Kansas City Omaha Kings Chicago Bulls Weber State University Utah State University |
Assistant Coach Head Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach/Interim Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach/Head Coach Assistant Coach |
COACHING IMPACT
– Coach Johnson’s contributions to basketball cannot be mentioned without the enormous role he has played in shaping the next generation of NBA players and coaches. Coach Johnson’s impact extends to Mike D’Antoni, Jerry Sloan, John Stockton, Mike Woodson, Bill Russell, Karl Malone, Mark Jackson, Derek Fisher, and Deron Williams.
AREA OF EXPERTISE/OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
– Over the years, Coach Johnson has become widely acknowledged as one of the premiere basketball coaches in the sport, confirmed when the NBA general managers named him the league’s top assistant before the 2004-05 season.
– Johnson earned his first head coaching duties at the age of 27 with the Kansas City/Omaha Kings midway through the 1973-74 season. Though the Kings were just 6-19 when Johnson took over, he earned a record of 27-30, and the team finished the season at 33-49. But Johnson had instilled changes in his players – enough to earn Coach of the Year honors the next season when he guided them to an 11-game improvement at 44-38 and their first playoff berth in eight seasons.
– Coach Johnson began his coaching career as a graduate assistant to Ladell Andersen while earning his master’s degree at Utah State University before moving on to become an assistant to Dick Motta at Weber State (Ogden, UT) in 1964.
– Coach Johnson is a native of Grace, Idaho, Johnson lettered in both track and basketball at Utah State while earning his bachelor’s degree in physical education. He played on the Aggies teams that advanced to the 1962 and 1963 NCAA Tournament, captaining the 1963 squad as a senior and averaging 12.3 points and 7.1 rebounds.
– Weber State inducted Coach Johnson into its Hall of Fame in 1992, and Utah State honored him as its Alumnus of the Year in 1997.
COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS / TEAM ACHIEVEMENTS
– 2010 Western Conference Semifinals (Utah Jazz) – 2009 NBA Playoffs (Utah Jazz) – 2008 Western Conference Semifinals (Utah Jazz) – 2007 Western Conference Finals (Utah Jazz) – 2003 NBA Playoffs (Utah Jazz) – 2002 NBA Playoffs (Utah Jazz) – 2001 NBA Playoffs (Utah Jazz) – 2000 Western Conference Semifinals (Utah Jazz) – 1999 Western Conference Semifinals (Utah Jazz) – 1998 NBA Finals Runner-Up (Utah Jazz) – 1997 NBA Finals Runner-Up (Utah Jazz) – 1996 Western Conference Finals (Utah Jazz) – 1995 NBA Playoffs (Utah Jazz) – 1994 Western Conference Finals (Utah Jazz) – 1993 NBA Playoffs (Utah Jazz) |
– 1992 Western Conference Finals (Utah Jazz) – 1991 Western Conference Semifinals (Utah Jazz) – 1990 NBA Playoffs (Utah Jazz) – 1986 NBA Playoffs (Sacramento Kings) – 1985 Western Conference Semifinals (Utah Jazz) – 1984 Western Conference Semifinals (Utah Jazz) – 1981 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Chicago Bulls) – 1975 NBA Playoffs (Kansas City-Omaha Kings) – 1975 NBA Coach of the Year (Kansas City-Omaha Kings) – 1973 Western Conference Semifinals (Chicago Bulls) – 1972 Western Conference Semifinals (Chicago Bulls) – 3x Big Sky Champions (1969-1971) – 3x Big Sky Coach of the Year (1969-1971) – District VII Coach of the Year (1968) |