Bobcat Basketball Candidate: Bill Johnson
3/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
A transplanted Nebraskan who "ran John Deere 60s in the summer" growing up, University of San Francisco assistant coach Bill Johnson told a gathering of around 80 Bobcat boosters Monday that he is ready for a Division I head coaching position on Monday.
"I've worked for guys that empower you," he told the gathering in the Bobcat Stadium Club. "They have prepared me to be a head coach."
Johnson cited his background of working at Ivy League institution Columbia, which he called the "fifth-most selective school in the world," Nebraska, which has produced an NCAA-best total Academic All-America recipients, and the University of San Francisco, which he said draws students that average 1500 on the SAT. "One of the things I feel very qualified to do is recruit to academic schools."
Although he's never worked close to MSU Athletics before, Johnson said he understands the bar has been set high for Bobcat coaches in terms of community involvement and outreach. "I need to be active. Your football coach is all over the state," he said, referring to Mike Kramer. "That's all anyone here talks about. You need to create excitement. I understand that."
Johnson said that he is heavily influenced by the NBA game, citing his mentor and former boss Armond Hill, now an assistant with the Boston Celtics, and Sacramento assistant Pete Carrill. He also coached future NBA players Mikki Moore and Venson Hamilton at Nebraska.
The bottom line, Johnson said, begins in his small town roots. "I grew up in a small community where you earn the trust of the community," he said. "It was a Hoosiers town, where you follow the team bus to (basketball) road games. I believe that trust is the most important thing, and trust starts with a handshake."
"I've worked for guys that empower you," he told the gathering in the Bobcat Stadium Club. "They have prepared me to be a head coach."
Johnson cited his background of working at Ivy League institution Columbia, which he called the "fifth-most selective school in the world," Nebraska, which has produced an NCAA-best total Academic All-America recipients, and the University of San Francisco, which he said draws students that average 1500 on the SAT. "One of the things I feel very qualified to do is recruit to academic schools."
Although he's never worked close to MSU Athletics before, Johnson said he understands the bar has been set high for Bobcat coaches in terms of community involvement and outreach. "I need to be active. Your football coach is all over the state," he said, referring to Mike Kramer. "That's all anyone here talks about. You need to create excitement. I understand that."
Johnson said that he is heavily influenced by the NBA game, citing his mentor and former boss Armond Hill, now an assistant with the Boston Celtics, and Sacramento assistant Pete Carrill. He also coached future NBA players Mikki Moore and Venson Hamilton at Nebraska.
The bottom line, Johnson said, begins in his small town roots. "I grew up in a small community where you earn the trust of the community," he said. "It was a Hoosiers town, where you follow the team bus to (basketball) road games. I believe that trust is the most important thing, and trust starts with a handshake."
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