As a senior, Johnson received honorable mention from United Press International for their All-American team in 1952.

At the time of his retirement from Cypress, Johnson had the most wins among California junior college men's basketball coaches.

It was early in Bruins coach John Wooden's tenure at the school,[6] about a decade before he would win the first of 11 national championships.

[3] As a junior in 1950–51, Johnson averaged 5.2 rebounds per game and received honorable mention for the PCC All-Southern Division team.

[b][12][13] He and teammate Jerry Norman, the Bruins' co-captains,[14] were unanimous selections for the PCC All-Southern Division team.

[6] His 596 points set a UCLA record for players who only played two seasons, breaking Carl Kraushaar's previous high of 543.

[1] He retired in 1994 after 27 seasons with Cypress,[3] compiling a 588–259 record, at the time the most wins by a California junior college men's basketball coach.

[2][19] In 1996, he joined Biola University as an assistant coach under Dave Holmquist, who played for Johnson at Cypress from 1969 to 1971.

[34] Johnson's mother, Cecile Sparks, played basketball at the University of Kansas for James Naismith, the game's inventor.