Gene Johnson (coach)
| Sport(s) | Football, basketball |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born | 1902 |
| Died |
1989 Overland Park, Kansas |
| Playing career | |
| ? | College of Emporia |
| ? | Emporia State |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1938–1942 | Kansas Wesleyan |
| Basketball | |
| 1928–1933 | Wichita |
| 1938–1943 | Kansas Wesleyan |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall |
19–16–9 (football) 160–59 (basketball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
|
Football 1 KCAC (19240) | |
| Awards | |
| Kansas Sports Hall of Fame | |
Gene Johnson (1902–1989) was an American football and basketball coach. Some sources list him as the head coach of the 1936 United States Olympic Basketball team[1] and other sources give that honor to Jimmy Needles and state that Johnson was the assistant coach.[2] His innovations in basketball include being credited with creating the full court press.[3]
Basketball
Wichita University
In 1928, at the age of 26, Johnson was named head coach at Wichita University (now called Wichita State University) in Wichita, Kansas. Johnson's teams compiled a record of 74 wins and 24 losses in his five years as head coach of the "Shockers". He led the Shockers to a Central Intercollegiate Conference co-championship in 1933 (his last season at the school) and the team finished second three times and third once.[4]
McPherson Globe Refiners (AAU)
After coaching at Wichita University, Johnson left for a coaching career in the Amateur Athletic Union, coaching the McPherson Globe Refiners to a national title and later coaching the Wichita Vickers.
USA Olympic Basketball
Johnson was an assistant coach of the first United States Olympic basketball team in 1936. Several of his players in his AAU teams, including his brother Francis Johnson.
Kansas Wesleyan
In 1938, Johnson went to Kansas Wesleyan University to become the head basketball coach. He led the team to several conference championships and as of 2005 holds the second-most wins for a single season at the school.[5]
College football
Johnson was the tenth head football coach for the Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes located in Salina, Kansas and he held that position for five seasons, from 1938 until 1942. His coaching record at Kansas Wesleyan was 19 wins, 16 losses, and 9 ties. As of the conclusion of the 2009 season, this ranks him fifth at Kansas Wesleyan in total wins and seventh at the school in winning percentage (.534). [6]
In 1940, the team was declared conference champions of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference by outscoring their opponents for the season 131 to 46 and by winning every home game.[7]
Head coaching record
Football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) (1938–1942) | |||||||||
| 1938 | Kansas Wesleyan | 2–5–1 | 1–3 | ||||||
| 1939 | Kansas Wesleyan | 2–2–4 | 2–2–2 | ||||||
| 1940 | Kansas Wesleyan | 6–1–2 | 5–0–1 | ||||||
| 1941 | Kansas Wesleyan | 4–3 | 4–2 | ||||||
| 1942 | Kansas Wesleyan | 5–4–2 | 3–2–1 | ||||||
| Kansas Wesleyan: | 19–16–9 | 15–9–4 | |||||||
| Total: | 19–16–9 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title | |||||||||
References
- ↑ Topeka Capital-Journal "Foster among inductees" By Kevin Haskin, May 23, 2004
- ↑ The golden age of amateur basketball: the AAU Tournament 1921-1968 By Adolph H. Grundman, page 47
- ↑ Wichita State University Gene Johnson (Basketball Coach, 1928-33)
- ↑ Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Gene Johnson
- ↑ Kansas Wesleyan University 2005 Basketball Media Guide.
- ↑ College Football Data Warehouse Archived October 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes coaching records
- ↑ College Football Data Warehouse Kansas Wesleyan University Football Results - 1940