NC State looking for another assistant basketball coach
NC State will have a clean slate of new assistants next year.
The Wolfpack will be looking to replace 50-year-old James Johnson, who departed the program Monday. NC State previously hired Levi Watkins and Kareem Richardson to replace the fired Mike Summey and Roy Roberson in the last month. Now, NC State coach Kevin Keatts will need a third assistant to join the staff.
Johnson and Keatts go back to the early 1990s at Ferrum College. Keatts played for Ferrum from 1991-95, while Johnson was with the Panthers from 1989-93. Johnson, a native of Powhatan, Va., was a three-year starter and three-time Conference defensive player of the year. He helped the team win two conference championships and spot in the tournament.
Johnson and Keatts also had Chatham (N.C.) Hargrave Military Academy in common. Johnson was also an assistant coach at Hargrave from 1996-97, and Keatts was also an assistant coach there from 1997-99 before starting the first of two stints as head coach.
Johnson came to NC State from Miami where he served as director of operations for two years under coach Jim Larranaga. He also coached under Larranaga at George Mason from 2005-07, which included the famous Final Four run in 2006.
Johnson previously was the head coach at Virginia Tech, going 22-41 record in two years from 2012-14. He also was an assistant coach with the Hokies from 2007-12.
Johnson also was an assistant coach at Penn State, College of Charleston, Elon, Old Dominion and Longwood. He also had an abbreviated stint at Clemson.
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