Jerry Johnson (basketball coach) explained

Jerry C. Johnson (June 20, 1918[1] [2] – January 24, 2021) was an American college basketball head coach.

Biography

Johnson grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[3] As a guard, he played basketball at Wiley College and later earned his undergraduate degree from Fayetteville State University.[4]

Johnson learned the game of basketball from John McLendon, who was a student of James Naismith.[3]

From 1947 to 1951, Johnson was a basketball and football coach at Ridgeview High School in North Carolina. He coached the football team to conference titles in every year as well as three Western regional titles, winning the state championship in 1950. Johnson led the school's basketball team to state championship titles in 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950. His basketball team was also a national runner-up.[5]

He was a coach at Maryland State College[6] and in 1958, Johnson became the head men's basketball coach at LeMoyne College in Memphis. He also served as athletic director.[7] In 1968, the institution merged with Owen Junior College to form LeMoyne-Owen College.[8] In his 46-year stint as head coach of the team, Johnson recorded 821 wins, guided the team to five championship titles in the Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC), and another five in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). In 1975, he led LeMoyne-Owen to the NCAA Division III Championship.[9] He was the first African American coach to capture this title. Johnson retired in 2005. The gymnasium at LeMoyne-Owen College was named after him.[3]

Johnson was the coach and mentor of eight players who would later play in the NBA.[10] He was presented with the VSAC Coach of the Year award four times and was named SIAC Coach of the Year three times. As a coach, Johnson was described as "very strict", but also "very fair".[5]

In 2020, Johnson's story was featured in the documentary "1st Forgotten Champions: The Legacy of Jerry C. Johnson“.[11]

He died on January 24, 2021, at the age of 102.[12]

Honors

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: 100th birthday celebration planned for legendary LeMoyne-Owen coach . June 1, 2018 . January 25, 2021 . WMC Action News 5.
  2. News: Basketball legends L.C. Gordon and Jerry Johnson will be honored Sunday . The Commercial Appeal . Earniece H. . Foster . July 13, 2018 . January 25, 2021.
  3. Web site: Giannotto. Mark. How LeMoyne-Owen basketball coach Jerry C. Johnson's life story ended up featured at film festival. 2020-12-26. The Commercial Appeal. en-US.
  4. Web site: LeMoyne-Owen College Alumni to Recognize Legendary Coach Jerry Johnson by Celebrating his 92nd Birthday. 2020-12-26. thesiac.com. en.
  5. Web site: April 12, 2017 . CCSHOF selects "Class of 2017" . December 26, 2020 . Hickory Metro Sports . en-US.
  6. December 4, 1958 . Le Moyne College Gets New Cage Coach . Jet . 18.
  7. Web site: The Tri-State Defender, November 22, 1958 (@ Murray State's Digital Commons) . September 10, 2019 . December 26, 2020.
  8. Web site: History . December 26, 2020 . LeMoyne-Owen College Athletics . en.
  9. Web site: DIII Men's Basketball Championship History NCAA.com . December 26, 2020 . www.ncaa.com . en.
  10. Web site: Jerry C. Johnson « Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame . December 26, 2020 . en-US.
  11. Web site: Legendary LeMoyne-Owen Basketball Coach Featured In International Black Film Festival . December 26, 2020 . PRLog.
  12. Web site: Legendary LeMoyne-Owen basketball coach Jerry C. Johnson passed away Sunday morning . Jonathan . Marshall . January 24, 2021 . January 24, 2021 . Fox 13 Memphis.
  13. Web site: Jerry Johnson (1989) - Hall of Fame. 2020-12-26. Fayetteville State University Athletics. en.

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