Sydney Johnson
Encyclopedia
Sydney Johnson is an American
college basketball
coach and the current head coach
at Fairfield University
for the Fairfield Stags men's basketball
team. Previously, Johnson was the head coach at Princeton University
from 2007 to 2011 where he led the Princeton Tigers men's basketball
team to the 2011 Ivy League Title and the 2011 NCAA Tournament
. A 1997 Princeton alumnus, Johnson played for the Tigers from 1993 to 1997.
As a player he was a member of the 1995–96
Ivy League champions and undefeated (in conference) 1996–97 Princeton Tigers
. He earned Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year
recognition for the undefeated 1997 team. He continues to hold the Ivy League
record for consecutive three point shots made and the league record for most single-game three point shots made without a miss as well as the Princeton Tigers record for career steals
. His college career was marked by many memorable overtime
performances, game-winning shots and game-clinching free throw
s. Nonetheless, his greatest recognition came for his defense.
During a seven year professional career, he won three championships in Europe. After being hired in 2007, he has been the youngest coach in the Ivy League for his entire four year tenure there. In his fourth season, he coached the 2010–11 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
to a league championship. Previously as an assistant he was part of the 2006–07
Big East Conference
champions.
in Moorhead, Minnesota
. Johnson transferred from Minnesota to Towson Catholic High School prior to his senior season. During the early signing period from November 13 through November 20, 1991, Johnson, who was considering several Ivy League
schools as well as Northeastern University, verbally committed to Boston University. On December 1, 1991, Boston University announced that Johnson signed a letter of intent
. During his senior season, Johnson lead Towson to the Baltimore Catholic Basketball League Championship. Following the season, he earned Baltimore Catholic Basketball League All-league first-team recognition. He was also selected to participate in the Rodney Beasley East vs. West All-Star Games, sponsored by the Baltimore Metro Coaches Association. He was also a second team All-metro selection and following his 1992 graduation attended the Fork Union Military Academy
in Virginia for a postgraduate year. In April 1993, after playing a year a Fork Union, Johnson signed a letter of intent with Herb Sendek
's Miami (OH)
team, but upon being accepted by Princeton University
in June of that year, he revoked his letter.
Johnson showed strong leadership skills early at Princeton and is the only three-time captain in university history. During his freshman year, he was twice named Ivy League Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week for the 1993–94 team. That season the 11–3 Tigers could not match the who were led by Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney
. Johnson provided heroics for the 1994–95 Tigers on a couple of occasions. On December 27, 1994, he hit what The New York Times
described as "a falling-down 3-point basket with three seconds left in regulation". The basket forced overtime
. At the end of the third overtime period Johnson converted two foul shots with three seconds left to cement a 71–66 victory over . Later that season, he set a career-high with a 25-point performance against in a double-overtime victory. He recorded seven steals in a game against on February 3, 1995, which is one shy of the school record. Again the Tigers could not get past .
As a junior, he was named Ivy League Player of the week for the second weekend in February as he led the team on both ends of the court. The following week, he posted 21 points against , which established his season-high. Even after Allen and Maloney graduated, Princeton's only two losses were to . After Princeton and Penn ended the 1995–96 season tied as Ivy League Co-Champions, Johnson made the decisive three point shot with one minute and four seconds remaining in overtime in the one-game playoff
, corralled a defensive rebound, added a pair of free throws with 24 seconds left and then made a steal. The win ended an eight-game losing streak to Penn. The win earned the team the conference automatic bid to the 1996 NCAA Tournament
and following the game head coach
Pete Carril
announced his retirement. The thirteen seeded team was matched against the defending national champion
UCLA Bruins in its first round pairing. He was the team's leading scorer with 11 points in the 43–41 first round victory over UCLA in the 1996 NCAA Tournament. The team fell behind 41–34 with over six minutes remaining. His 3-of-7 three point shooting performance included a shot to bring the team to within 4. He also made the game-tying layup
to knot the score at 41. He also defended Toby Bailey
's last second shot after Princeton took the lead with 3.9 seconds remaining. During the game, UCLA jumped out to a 7–0 lead at the first TV timeout, and Johnson's leadership held the team together early when UCLA looked strong.
As a senior, his new head coach, Bill Carmody
described him as a shutdown defender. He was 1997 Ivy League Men's basketball Player of the Year. Johnson earned the award for his defense and was the first winner with a single-digit scoring average. He scored 15 on February 22, when Princeton clinched the Ivy League regular season championship by defeating . The following week, he established Ivy League records for most consecutive three-point field goal
s made, with 11, and the most single-game three-point field goals made with no misses (6 for 6) against Columbia Lions men's basketball
on February 28, 1997 and Cornell Big Red men's basketball
(first 5) on March 1, 1997. He had twelve points in the regular season finale during which Princeton tied the school record with its nineteenth consecutive win. In the 1997 NCAA Tournament
opening round matchup against the , when a final second pass was intercepted, he attempted to shoulder the blame with the press. He retired as the Princeton University all-time leader in steals
. His 169 total steals were fifth in Ivy League history at the end of his career and was eleventh at the end of the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. He retired second in Princeton history in career three point shots and fourth in career assists.
After writing his senior thesis on Kenya
n education under British colonial rule and graduating with a bachelor's degree
in history, Johnson declined the postgraduate scholarship that he was awarded and played five years in Italy followed by two in Spain. Johnson played professional basketball in the Lega Basket Serie A and Legadue Basket in Italy
and Liga Española de Baloncesto
in Spain
, one season each for Gorizia Pallacanestro A2, Viola Reggio Calabria
, Adecco Milano/Ducato Siena, Casademont Girona and Montepaschi Siena. He played two seasons with the Avellino in Italy from 2000–2002. He had a seven year professional career before becoming a coach. In 1998, he won an Italian Second Division championship as a starter for Gorizia Pallacanestro. In 1999, he earned another league championship with for Reggio Calabria, and in his final professional season in 2004 he earned a league title with Siena. With Reggio Calabria, he teamed with Brent Scott
, Brian Oliver
, and Manu Ginobili
to win a championship.
, John Thompson III in 2004. The team was coming off of a losing record and made it to a 2005 National Invitation Tournament
. The team reached the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
. During his tenure at Georgetown, he helped coach the team to an overall 72–30 record over 3 seasons and the 2006–07 team
the 2007 Big East regular season championship, the 2007 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
championship, and a trip to the Final Four
of the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
.
Gary Walters
hired Sydney Johnson to take over the program. Johnson emerged from a field of Princeton offense
veterans that included Mike Brennan, Robert Burke, Craig Robinson, Bill Carmody
, Armond Hill, Chris Mooney, and Mitch Henderson. Johnson's demeanor as a coach is said by players to be more benevolent than his predecessor, Joe Scott
, who left for the University of Denver
after compiling a losing record in three years at Princeton. He was regarded as an inexperienced coach because he only had three years of experience as an assistant coach. He became the youngest coach in the Ivy League. Johnson inherited a team that had gone 2–12 in conference the prior season and 38–45 overall during the prior three season. Among the lowlights that the team had achieved during the Scott era was a 21-point performance that tied the record for fewest points since the inception of the three point shot and the shot clock
. The team had ranked last in the nation in scoring in both 2006 and 2007. Although race is an issue among collegiate coaching ranks, in Johnson's first year, he was one of six African-American men's basketball head coaches in the 8-team Ivy League. Johnson employs the Princeton offense. Former Tiger stars Brian Earl and Scott Greenman were among Johnson's assistants at Princeton.
After a tumultuous first season of rebuilding during which it posted a 3–11 record, Princeton began to show great improvement in 2008–2009. Even with only three games left on their schedule and a 7–4 conference record, they still controlled their own destiny for a possible postseason bid. They finished 13–14 with an 8–6 record in the Ivy League, which tied them with for second place. Along the way, the Tigers defeated , , and during their non-conference schedule and also notched wins over twice. One highlight of the season was an early season victory over eventual Ivy League champs who had possessed a 19-game Ivy League winning streak. The Ivy League does not name a coach of the year in any sport, but Collegeinsider.com named Johnson Ivy League Coach of the Year.
During Johnson's third season, the 2009–10 team
rebounded from a 2–4 start to win 20 of its final 25 games and earn a berth in the 2010 College Basketball Invitational
. Princeton's 22 wins were its most since 1999, as were its two postseason wins, and the postseason berth was its first since 2004. In the March 17, opening round game at home, Princeton defeated the Duquesne Dukes
65–51. The game was Princeton's first postseason appearance since the 2003–04 team
went to the 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
and the first postseason victory since the 1998–99 team
won two games in the 1999 National Invitation Tournament
. On March 22, the team defeated IUPUI
74–68 in double overtime
at IUPUI Gymnasium
in . The Tigers had previously won in the postseason in Indianapolis when the Johnson-led 1995–96 team pulled off a first round upset of the national defending champion UCLA in the 1996 Tournament. In the tournament semifinals the team was defeated by Saint Louis University
69–59 at Chaifetz Arena in on March 24. Johnson again earned Collegeinsider.com Coach of the Year.
In 2010, Johnson tweaked the motion Princeton offense to be a bit more uptempo, resulting in more possessions and higher scores. On March 5, 2010, the 2010–11 team
had a chance to clinch an outright 2010–11 Ivy League men's basketball season
championship, but lost to Harvard
who clinched a share of the title. Following the game, Johnson made his team sit on the bench and watch the Harvard fans celebrate. On March 8, Princeton defeated Penn to force a one-game playoff at the Payne Whitney Gymnasium
in New Haven, Connecticut
. On March 12, Princeton earned the Ivy League's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
, making the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2004 and 24th time in school history by defeating Harvard 63–62. Princeton was awarded the number thirteen seed and a first round match against the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky had eliminated Ivy League representative Cornell
the prior season. Kentucky emerged victorious by a 59–57 margin on a last second layup. He was named as a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award
, the Ben Jobe Award
, and the Skip Prosser Award.
.
in the early 1960s. He was also one of the first Americans to play professionally in France. His brother Steve was on the team that defeated the two-time defending champion Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
team in the 1993 NCAA Tournament
. While at Princeton, Johnson was a member of the Cap and Gown Club
. Johnson met his wife Jennifer (nee
Zarr) Johnson when they were freshmen in Princeton's Wilson College
. When he was initially hired by Princeton the couple had two children: 2-year-old son, Jalen, and newborn daughter, Julia.
Johnson had been very involved with the university as a whole during his head coaching career, participating in a task force charged with surveying the impact of Princeton's eating clubs on campus life, and sitting with his players in the student section at many home football
games.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach and the current head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
at Fairfield University
Fairfield University
Fairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
for the Fairfield Stags men's basketball
Fairfield Stags men's basketball
The Fairfield Stags men's basketball team represents Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The Stags play their home games in the 9,500 seat, state of the art Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut and plays...
team. Previously, Johnson was the head coach at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
from 2007 to 2011 where he led the Princeton Tigers men's basketball
Princeton Tigers men's basketball
The Princeton Tigers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Princeton University. The school competes in the Ivy League in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Tigers play home basketball games at the Jadwin Gymnasium in...
team to the 2011 Ivy League Title and the 2011 NCAA Tournament
2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2011 tournament:First Four*March 15 and 16**University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OhioSecond and third rounds*March 17 and 19**Verizon Center, Washington, D.C....
. A 1997 Princeton alumnus, Johnson played for the Tigers from 1993 to 1997.
As a player he was a member of the 1995–96
1995–96 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
The 1995–96 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Pete Carril and the team captain was Sydney Johnson. The team played its home games in the Jadwin...
Ivy League champions and undefeated (in conference) 1996–97 Princeton Tigers
1996–97 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
The 1996–97 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Bill Carmody and the team captain was Sydney Johnson. The team played its home games in the Jadwin...
. He earned Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year
Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Ivy League's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1974–75 season. There have been five players honored on two occasions: Craig Robinson, Kit Mueller, Jerome Allen, Ugonna Onyekwe and...
recognition for the undefeated 1997 team. He continues to hold the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
record for consecutive three point shots made and the league record for most single-game three point shots made without a miss as well as the Princeton Tigers record for career steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
. His college career was marked by many memorable overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
performances, game-winning shots and game-clinching free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
s. Nonetheless, his greatest recognition came for his defense.
During a seven year professional career, he won three championships in Europe. After being hired in 2007, he has been the youngest coach in the Ivy League for his entire four year tenure there. In his fourth season, he coached the 2010–11 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
2010–11 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Sydney Johnson, who was in his fourth season. The team's tri-captains were senior Kareem Maddox,...
to a league championship. Previously as an assistant he was part of the 2006–07
2006–07 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team
The 2006–07 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team was an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big East Conference representing Georgetown University. The Hoyas finished first place in the conference, won the conference tournament, and advanced to the semifinals in the NCAA...
Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
champions.
Playing career
Johnson spent much of his childhood in Baltimore. He played his sophomore and junior season of high school basketball at Moorhead Senior High SchoolMoorhead High School
Moorhead High School is a secondary school in Moorhead, Minnesota. Established in 1883, the school serves approximately 1600 students in grades 9-12.-Extracurricular activities:...
in Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....
. Johnson transferred from Minnesota to Towson Catholic High School prior to his senior season. During the early signing period from November 13 through November 20, 1991, Johnson, who was considering several Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
schools as well as Northeastern University, verbally committed to Boston University. On December 1, 1991, Boston University announced that Johnson signed a letter of intent
Letter of intent
A letter of intent is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalized. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement...
. During his senior season, Johnson lead Towson to the Baltimore Catholic Basketball League Championship. Following the season, he earned Baltimore Catholic Basketball League All-league first-team recognition. He was also selected to participate in the Rodney Beasley East vs. West All-Star Games, sponsored by the Baltimore Metro Coaches Association. He was also a second team All-metro selection and following his 1992 graduation attended the Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy is a private, military boarding school located in the town of Fork Union, Virginia. The school is more commonly known by its acronym FUMA ....
in Virginia for a postgraduate year. In April 1993, after playing a year a Fork Union, Johnson signed a letter of intent with Herb Sendek
Herb Sendek
Herbert J. Sendek is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball coach at Arizona State University.-Background:Sendek was formally introduced as the ASU head coach on April 3, 2006....
's Miami (OH)
Miami RedHawks men's basketball
The Miami RedHawks men's basketball team intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Miami University. The school competes in the Mid-American Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The RedHawks play home basketball games at Millett Hall in Oxford,...
team, but upon being accepted by Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in June of that year, he revoked his letter.
Johnson showed strong leadership skills early at Princeton and is the only three-time captain in university history. During his freshman year, he was twice named Ivy League Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week for the 1993–94 team. That season the 11–3 Tigers could not match the who were led by Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney
Matt Maloney
This article is about the basketball player. For the baseball player, see Matt Maloney .Matthew M. "Matt" Maloney is a retired American professional basketball player...
. Johnson provided heroics for the 1994–95 Tigers on a couple of occasions. On December 27, 1994, he hit what The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described as "a falling-down 3-point basket with three seconds left in regulation". The basket forced overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
. At the end of the third overtime period Johnson converted two foul shots with three seconds left to cement a 71–66 victory over . Later that season, he set a career-high with a 25-point performance against in a double-overtime victory. He recorded seven steals in a game against on February 3, 1995, which is one shy of the school record. Again the Tigers could not get past .
As a junior, he was named Ivy League Player of the week for the second weekend in February as he led the team on both ends of the court. The following week, he posted 21 points against , which established his season-high. Even after Allen and Maloney graduated, Princeton's only two losses were to . After Princeton and Penn ended the 1995–96 season tied as Ivy League Co-Champions, Johnson made the decisive three point shot with one minute and four seconds remaining in overtime in the one-game playoff
One-game playoff
A one-game playoff, sometimes known as a pennant playoff or play-in game, is a tiebreaker in certain sports—usually but not always professional—to determine which of two teams, tied in the final standings, will qualify for a post-season tournament...
, corralled a defensive rebound, added a pair of free throws with 24 seconds left and then made a steal. The win ended an eight-game losing streak to Penn. The win earned the team the conference automatic bid to the 1996 NCAA Tournament
1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in...
and following the game head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Pete Carril
Pete Carril
Peter J. "Pete" Carril is a former collegiate head coach and former NBA assistant with the Sacramento Kings.-Early years:...
announced his retirement. The thirteen seeded team was matched against the defending national champion
1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1995, and ended with the championship game on April 3 at the Kingdome in Seattle,...
UCLA Bruins in its first round pairing. He was the team's leading scorer with 11 points in the 43–41 first round victory over UCLA in the 1996 NCAA Tournament. The team fell behind 41–34 with over six minutes remaining. His 3-of-7 three point shooting performance included a shot to bring the team to within 4. He also made the game-tying layup
Layup
A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump shot. The layup is considered the most basic shot in...
to knot the score at 41. He also defended Toby Bailey
Toby Bailey
John Garfield "Toby" Bailey is an American professional basketball player.-College career:Bailey played four years of college basketball at UCLA, being part of the Bruins squad that won the 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. In the championship game against Arkansas, Bailey scored...
's last second shot after Princeton took the lead with 3.9 seconds remaining. During the game, UCLA jumped out to a 7–0 lead at the first TV timeout, and Johnson's leadership held the team together early when UCLA looked strong.
As a senior, his new head coach, Bill Carmody
Bill Carmody
Bill Carmody is an American men's college basketball coach.Since 2000, he has been the head coach of the Northwestern Wildcats at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.-Early life and education:...
described him as a shutdown defender. He was 1997 Ivy League Men's basketball Player of the Year. Johnson earned the award for his defense and was the first winner with a single-digit scoring average. He scored 15 on February 22, when Princeton clinched the Ivy League regular season championship by defeating . The following week, he established Ivy League records for most consecutive three-point field goal
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
s made, with 11, and the most single-game three-point field goals made with no misses (6 for 6) against Columbia Lions men's basketball
Columbia Lions men's basketball
The Columbia Lions Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Columbia University in New York City, New York, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Ivy League. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was in 1968...
on February 28, 1997 and Cornell Big Red men's basketball
Cornell Big Red men's basketball
The Cornell Big Red men's basketball team represents Cornell University , located in Ithaca, New York, in NCAA Division I men's competition. The Big Red's appearance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament was their first trip to "The Big Dance" since 1988...
(first 5) on March 1, 1997. He had twelve points in the regular season finale during which Princeton tied the school record with its nineteenth consecutive win. In the 1997 NCAA Tournament
1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
opening round matchup against the , when a final second pass was intercepted, he attempted to shoulder the blame with the press. He retired as the Princeton University all-time leader in steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
. His 169 total steals were fifth in Ivy League history at the end of his career and was eleventh at the end of the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. He retired second in Princeton history in career three point shots and fourth in career assists.
After writing his senior thesis on Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n education under British colonial rule and graduating with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in history, Johnson declined the postgraduate scholarship that he was awarded and played five years in Italy followed by two in Spain. Johnson played professional basketball in the Lega Basket Serie A and Legadue Basket in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Liga Española de Baloncesto
Liga Española de Baloncesto
Liga Española de Baloncesto is the second league of the Spanish basketball league system behind the ACB. It is run by the FEB. The Liga Española de Baloncesto is divided into two categories and they are sponsored by Adecco. The names of the two leagues are Adecco Oro and Adecco Plata.The LEB league...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, one season each for Gorizia Pallacanestro A2, Viola Reggio Calabria
Viola Reggio Calabria
Viola Reggio Calabria is the name traditionally given to the main men's professional basketball team from the city Reggio Calabria, Italy. The team colors are black and orange....
, Adecco Milano/Ducato Siena, Casademont Girona and Montepaschi Siena. He played two seasons with the Avellino in Italy from 2000–2002. He had a seven year professional career before becoming a coach. In 1998, he won an Italian Second Division championship as a starter for Gorizia Pallacanestro. In 1999, he earned another league championship with for Reggio Calabria, and in his final professional season in 2004 he earned a league title with Siena. With Reggio Calabria, he teamed with Brent Scott
Brent Scott
Brent Steven Scott is a retired American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. He played college basketball at Rice University. Scott is a 6'10", . center....
, Brian Oliver
Brian Oliver
Brian Darnell Oliver is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'4" and 210 lb shooting guard out of Georgia Tech, he was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA in the 2nd round of the 1990 Draft...
, and Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
to win a championship.
Georgetown
Johnson was then brought on as an assistant to the newly appointed head coach at GeorgetownGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, John Thompson III in 2004. The team was coming off of a losing record and made it to a 2005 National Invitation Tournament
2005 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:...
. The team reached the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
. During his tenure at Georgetown, he helped coach the team to an overall 72–30 record over 3 seasons and the 2006–07 team
2006–07 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team
The 2006–07 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team was an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big East Conference representing Georgetown University. The Hoyas finished first place in the conference, won the conference tournament, and advanced to the semifinals in the NCAA...
the 2007 Big East regular season championship, the 2007 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
2007 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
-Games:*1st round: Wednesday, March 7Noon2PM7PM9PM*Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 8Noon2 PM7 PM9 PM*Semifinals: Friday, March 97 PM9 PM...
championship, and a trip to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
of the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
.
Princeton
When Scott abandoned his struggling Princeton team to coach at Denver in 2007, athletic directorAthletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
Gary Walters
Gary Walters
Gary D. Walters is an American athlete, coach, athletic administrator and business man, best known for being a former point guard for Princeton in NCAA basketball, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, chairing the NCAA's Division I Men's Basketball Committee in 2007, and operating...
hired Sydney Johnson to take over the program. Johnson emerged from a field of Princeton offense
Princeton offense
The Princeton offense is an offensive basketball strategy which emphasizes constant motion, passing, back-door cuts, and disciplined teamwork. It was used and perfected at Princeton University by Pete Carril, though its roots may be traced back to Franklin “Cappy” Cappon, who coached Princeton...
veterans that included Mike Brennan, Robert Burke, Craig Robinson, Bill Carmody
Bill Carmody
Bill Carmody is an American men's college basketball coach.Since 2000, he has been the head coach of the Northwestern Wildcats at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.-Early life and education:...
, Armond Hill, Chris Mooney, and Mitch Henderson. Johnson's demeanor as a coach is said by players to be more benevolent than his predecessor, Joe Scott
Joe Scott
Joe Scott is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach at the University of Denver. He replaced Terry Carroll on March 20, 2007....
, who left for the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
after compiling a losing record in three years at Princeton. He was regarded as an inexperienced coach because he only had three years of experience as an assistant coach. He became the youngest coach in the Ivy League. Johnson inherited a team that had gone 2–12 in conference the prior season and 38–45 overall during the prior three season. Among the lowlights that the team had achieved during the Scott era was a 21-point performance that tied the record for fewest points since the inception of the three point shot and the shot clock
Shot clock
A shot clock is used in some sports to quicken the pace of the game. It is normally associated with basketball, but has also found use in sports such as snooker, professional lacrosse, water polo, and korfball....
. The team had ranked last in the nation in scoring in both 2006 and 2007. Although race is an issue among collegiate coaching ranks, in Johnson's first year, he was one of six African-American men's basketball head coaches in the 8-team Ivy League. Johnson employs the Princeton offense. Former Tiger stars Brian Earl and Scott Greenman were among Johnson's assistants at Princeton.
After a tumultuous first season of rebuilding during which it posted a 3–11 record, Princeton began to show great improvement in 2008–2009. Even with only three games left on their schedule and a 7–4 conference record, they still controlled their own destiny for a possible postseason bid. They finished 13–14 with an 8–6 record in the Ivy League, which tied them with for second place. Along the way, the Tigers defeated , , and during their non-conference schedule and also notched wins over twice. One highlight of the season was an early season victory over eventual Ivy League champs who had possessed a 19-game Ivy League winning streak. The Ivy League does not name a coach of the year in any sport, but Collegeinsider.com named Johnson Ivy League Coach of the Year.
During Johnson's third season, the 2009–10 team
2009–10 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Sydney Johnson and the team captains were Nick Lake and Marcus Schroeder...
rebounded from a 2–4 start to win 20 of its final 25 games and earn a berth in the 2010 College Basketball Invitational
2010 College Basketball Invitational
The 2010 College Basketball Invitational is a single-elimination tournament of 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams that did not participate in the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament or the 2010 National Invitation Tournament. The opening round began Tuesday,...
. Princeton's 22 wins were its most since 1999, as were its two postseason wins, and the postseason berth was its first since 2004. In the March 17, opening round game at home, Princeton defeated the Duquesne Dukes
2009–10 Duquesne Dukes men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Duquesne Dukes men's basketball team represented Duquesne University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college basketball during the 2009–10 season....
65–51. The game was Princeton's first postseason appearance since the 2003–04 team
2003–04 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
The 2003–04 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was John Thompson III and the team captains were Ed Persia and Judson Wallace...
went to the 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
and the first postseason victory since the 1998–99 team
1998–99 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
The 1998–99 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented the Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Bill Carmody and the team co-captains were Brian Earl and Gabe Lewullis...
won two games in the 1999 National Invitation Tournament
1999 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Xavier 106, Oregon 75...
. On March 22, the team defeated IUPUI
2009–10 IUPUI Jaguars men's basketball team
The 2009–10 IUPUI Jaguars men's basketball team represented the Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis in the 2009–2010 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Jaguars were coached by Ron Hunter and played their home games at IUPUI Gymnasium, also known as The Jungle in Indianapolis, IN...
74–68 in double overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
at IUPUI Gymnasium
IUPUI Gymnasium
IUPUI Gymnasium, nicknamed the Jungle, is a 2,215-seat multi-purpose arena in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Since 1982 it has been home to the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Jaguars basketball teams and volleyball team. It also holds various sports classes for the Indiana...
in . The Tigers had previously won in the postseason in Indianapolis when the Johnson-led 1995–96 team pulled off a first round upset of the national defending champion UCLA in the 1996 Tournament. In the tournament semifinals the team was defeated by Saint Louis University
2009–10 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team represented Saint Louis University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Rick Majerus's third season at Saint Louis. The Billikens compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference and played their home games at Chaifetz Arena...
69–59 at Chaifetz Arena in on March 24. Johnson again earned Collegeinsider.com Coach of the Year.
In 2010, Johnson tweaked the motion Princeton offense to be a bit more uptempo, resulting in more possessions and higher scores. On March 5, 2010, the 2010–11 team
2010–11 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Sydney Johnson, who was in his fourth season. The team's tri-captains were senior Kareem Maddox,...
had a chance to clinch an outright 2010–11 Ivy League men's basketball season
2010–11 Ivy League men's basketball season
The 2010–11 Ivy League men's basketball season marks the continuation of the annual tradition of competitive basketball among Ivy League members that began when the league was formed during the 1956–57 season, continuing from the predecessor Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League, which was...
championship, but lost to Harvard
2010–11 Harvard Crimson men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Harvard Crimson men's basketball team represented Harvard University in the Ivy League athletic conference during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the Lavietes Pavilion, which has a capacity of 2,195. The...
who clinched a share of the title. Following the game, Johnson made his team sit on the bench and watch the Harvard fans celebrate. On March 8, Princeton defeated Penn to force a one-game playoff at the Payne Whitney Gymnasium
Payne Whitney Gymnasium
The Payne Whitney Gymnasium is the gymnasium of Yale University. Built in the prevailing Gothic architecture style of the campus in 1932, it is a remarkable building, possessing a Gothic tower, a third-floor swimming pool, a polo practice room, and a rooftop running track. It is the second-largest...
in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. On March 12, Princeton earned the Ivy League's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2011 tournament:First Four*March 15 and 16**University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OhioSecond and third rounds*March 17 and 19**Verizon Center, Washington, D.C....
, making the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2004 and 24th time in school history by defeating Harvard 63–62. Princeton was awarded the number thirteen seed and a first round match against the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky had eliminated Ivy League representative Cornell
2009–10 Cornell Big Red men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Cornell Big Red men's basketball team represented Cornell University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was coach Steve Donahue's tenth season at Cornell. The Big Red compete in the Ivy League and played their home games at Newman Arena...
the prior season. Kentucky emerged victorious by a 59–57 margin on a last second layup. He was named as a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award
Hugh Durham Award
The Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding mid-major men's college basketball head coach in NCAA Division I competition...
, the Ben Jobe Award
Ben Jobe Award
The Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding minority men's college basketball head coach in NCAA Division I competition...
, and the Skip Prosser Award.
Fairfield
In April 2011, Johnson accepted a head coaching position at Fairfield University, replacing Ed CooleyEd Cooley
Ed Cooley is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Providence College Friars men's basketball team. Previously, Cooley had held the same position at Fairfield University from 2006–2011...
.
Personal
Johnson's history professor father, LeRoy, divorced from his mother when Johnson was young. He grew up in a series of college towns. Johnson's father played basketball for IndianaIndiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
in the early 1960s. He was also one of the first Americans to play professionally in France. His brother Steve was on the team that defeated the two-time defending champion Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
team in the 1993 NCAA Tournament
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
. While at Princeton, Johnson was a member of the Cap and Gown Club
Cap and Gown Club
Cap and Gown Club, founded in 1890, is an eating club at Princeton University, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Colloquially known as "Cap", the club is one of the "Big Four" eating clubs at Princeton . Members are selected through a selective process called bicker...
. Johnson met his wife Jennifer (nee
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Zarr) Johnson when they were freshmen in Princeton's Wilson College
Wilson College, Princeton University
Woodrow Wilson College, the first of Princeton University's six residential colleges, was developed in the late 1950s when a group of students formed the Woodrow Wilson Lodge as an alternative to the eating clubs. The Woodrow Wilson Lodge members originally met and dined in Madison Hall, which is...
. When he was initially hired by Princeton the couple had two children: 2-year-old son, Jalen, and newborn daughter, Julia.
Johnson had been very involved with the university as a whole during his head coaching career, participating in a task force charged with surveying the impact of Princeton's eating clubs on campus life, and sitting with his players in the student section at many home football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
games.