BleedGopher
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per Marcus:
At Dayton, it was far from the big time, as Johnson poured himself into his job. It seems he hasn't changed much since. He is not married. Has no kids. It's all work and no play.
"I'm a pretty simple guy," Johnson, 40, told the Star Tribune. "I like to travel. I've got a dog, so I like to hang around with him, but honestly sports and basketball is what I do. … I'm kind of boring that way I guess you could say."
Maybe not boring, but singularly focused. The trip to Dayton led to several more stops as an assistant coach that groomed him to one day take the reins of his own program.
The Gophers turned to Johnson after eight up-and-down seasons with Richard Pitino, the son of a Hall of Fame coach, who landed the U job at age 30.
For Johnson, the journey to his dream job was more of an odyssey on a fast-food budget.
"I'm humbled enough to know this is hard — and I'm very fortunate," Johnson said. "I'm also confident in who I've prepared under. I'm confident in my abilities as a coach."
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
At Dayton, it was far from the big time, as Johnson poured himself into his job. It seems he hasn't changed much since. He is not married. Has no kids. It's all work and no play.
"I'm a pretty simple guy," Johnson, 40, told the Star Tribune. "I like to travel. I've got a dog, so I like to hang around with him, but honestly sports and basketball is what I do. … I'm kind of boring that way I guess you could say."
Maybe not boring, but singularly focused. The trip to Dayton led to several more stops as an assistant coach that groomed him to one day take the reins of his own program.
The Gophers turned to Johnson after eight up-and-down seasons with Richard Pitino, the son of a Hall of Fame coach, who landed the U job at age 30.
For Johnson, the journey to his dream job was more of an odyssey on a fast-food budget.
"I'm humbled enough to know this is hard — and I'm very fortunate," Johnson said. "I'm also confident in who I've prepared under. I'm confident in my abilities as a coach."
New Gophers coach Ben Johnson always showed signs of big things to come for him
Humble yet confident, the basketball lifer has climbed his way up the coaching ranks from the bottom rung.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!