[1][2] Johnson played at Texas Pan–American (now UT Rio Grande Valley) under Lon Kruger for two seasons.
In his senior year, he averaged 16.2 points per game and earned American South Conference First-Team honors.
[4] After his first year of playing abroad, Johnson returned stateside for a one-year stint as an assistant coach at Northwestern State.
Once his playing career was completed he spent four years as an assistant coach at Bryan High School in Texas before rejoining his alma mater as an assistant coach for the 1996–1997 season.
[4] On March 29, 2023, Johnson was named the 15th men's basketball coach in Southern history, replacing Sean Woods.