Following Associate Head Coach Ivan Thomas’ departure from the Hilltop to fill the head coaching job at Hampton University, Georgetown University men’s basketball Head Coach Ed Cooley hired Kenny Johnson on April 15 to fill the role.

Johnson joins the Hoyas following a two-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island (URI). Highly regarded as a recruiter, Johnson returns to his roots in the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) region, where he has extensive ties to the local high school and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball infrastructure.

“I am excited to add Kenny Johnson to the coaching staff,” Cooley told Georgetown Athletics. “He is an outstanding coach who has worked alongside some of the best coaches in our game at all levels — from high school to AAU and at the NCAA Division I level.”

The hire adds to a busy offseason for Cooley, who has overseen considerable roster and administrative changes. Since finishing 9-23 overall and 2-18 in the Big East, Cooley has been busy working the transfer portal, adding Harvard guard Malik Mack, Texas Christian University wing Micah Peavy and Louisville wing Curtis Williams Jr.

Originally from Oxon Hill, Md., Johnson began coaching in 2002 at nearby Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md., before leaving for St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., in 2007. He also served as a director and the head coach of the 16-and-under team of Nike Team Takeover, a nationally recognized AAU program that churned out more than 53 Division I athletes during Johnson’s stint.

Cooley said Johnson’s extensive ties to the local basketball infrastructure were a major factor in his hiring, helping round out the staff with additional swaying power in the DMV.

“We wanted someone that had some familiarity with this DMV area,” Cooley told The Hoya. “We had some familiarity, but we needed some deep-seated roots here, so that was very much an attraction.”

Transitioning to the college level, Johnson began a series of assistant coaching stints at Towson University (2011-12), Indiana University (2012-14), the University of Louisville (2014-17) and La Salle University (2018-20). During this stretch, Johnson was responsible for multiple strong recruiting classes featuring the likes of future National Basketball Association (NBA) players Donovan Mitchell, Victor Oladipo and Terry Rozier.

Former Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean said Johnson provided a strong developmental presence for his players.

“Kenny makes you better as a player on the court with his knowledge, teaching ability and preparation,” Crean wrote to The Hoya. “He also makes you better off the floor in countless ways. Kenny is a relationship builder and relationship keeper. He is not afraid to tell you the truth and he is certainly a hard worker.”

Villanova Assistant Coach Ashley Howard, who previously worked with Johnson as La Salle’s head coach, said he has built up a strong national reputation as a recruiter.

“He’s not just a guy that can recruit the DMV — he’s a national recruiter,” Howard told The Hoya. “He has relationships and connections to people all throughout the country, and they all respect him because they know that he’s a good person and you can trust your kids with him.”

However, both Louisville and La Salle fired Johnson after uncovering links to recruiting violations at Louisville. As part of a larger effort by Louisville and school sponsor Adidas to pay recruiting targets, Johnson allegedly arranged a $1,300 payment to a visiting recruit’s father, according to court documents.

Due to the violations, the NCAA later banned Johnson from offseason recruiting outside of college campuses for two years. That term will expire in September, allowing Johnson to resume full recruiting activities at Georgetown. 

Despite the sanctions, coaches familiar with Johnson’s situation continue to praise his character and drive. Howard, who hired Johnson after the recruiting allegations became public, continues to stand by his decision.

“It was a no-brainer for me at the time because I knew Kenny’s character,” Howard said. “Despite all of the things that people may say, you look at him as a man, look at him as a father — he’s a great man, a great coach.”

Johnson returned to Maryland in 2020 to take a high school head coaching position at National Christian Academy in Fort Washington for two years before leaving for URI in 2022 to join Head Coach Archie Miller’s staff. 

Caldwell University forward Moussa Ngom, who played at National Christian from 2020 to 2022, described Johnson as an instrumental tutor both on and off the court. Ngom, who is Senegalese, said that Johnson played an essential role in his adjustment to the United States.

“He was more than a coach to me,” Ngom told The Hoya. “I had a good time playing there and learning a lot from him, teaching me about the game and life. He helped me as a person and also someone who is not from here in the U.S.”

Johnson rounds out a recruiting staff that includes coaches Jeff Battle, Brian Blaney and LaDontae Henton, adding additional firepower to a core that has extensive experience throughout the East Coast. 

As the Hoyas look to vastly improve in Cooley’s sophomore season, Johnson marks a crucial investment to vault the program into a legitimate conference contender.

“He’s gonna do what he’s done everywhere,” Howard said. “For the DMV, to have a homegrown guy that is well-respected in our business is a significant add for Coach Cooley and his staff.”

Ngom echoed Howard’s sentiment that Johnson would become an essential part of Cooley’s team.

“He’s a winner,” Ngom said. “He loves to win. He will help the program get better and be at the next level.”