In March,Avery Johnson, a former Southern University basketball player accepted theposition as head basketball coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
On April23, Johnson will be inducted into the 2005 SU Sports Hall of Fame at a 7 p.m.ceremony.
Johnson isa coach who has a tremendous amount of experience and success as a player.
He startedhis collegiate career in New Mexico at New Mexico Junior College in 1983
He latertransferred to Cameron College in Oklahoma, but he wasn’t satisfied there, sothe 5’11’, 180-pound point guard decided to come back to his home state ofLouisiana and play at Southern. It was only one hour away from New Orleans,where he was born on March 25,1965, and played high school basketball.
Back inthe south he received the chance to reunite with his old high school coach,Bernard Griffin, who was now the assistant coach at Southern.
During histwo seasons as a Jaguar, he averaged 9.2 points per game and led the NationalCollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in assists with 10.7 assists per gamehis junior year and 13.3 his senior year, causing him to set an all-time NCAADivision I record for career assists with 8.97 per game.
Johnsonalso holds the all-time NCAA Division I record for assists in a single gamewith 22 against Texas Southern on January 25, 1988.
Johnsonwas also named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year and theMost Valuable Player of the conference tournament both seasons.
”During that time we had a nationalproduct and momentum, where even LSU (Louisiana State University) studentswould come to see us play. Coach (Ben) Jobe was also an older coach who wonlots of games and had lots of influence in the community as well as with thestudent body,” Johnson said of the large crowds at the games.
Since thenthe crowds have dwindled at Southern’s games. According to the SWAC, for the 2004-2005 season the averagecrowd size at the Jaguars’ home games was a little over 1,200 fans.
Johnsonattributes his success as a collegiate athlete and student at Southern to Jobe(former SU men’s basketball head coach) , Southern head baseball coach Roger Cador, psychology researchprofessor Cynthia Tarver, and avid SU sports fan “Mamma Jag.” Jobewas once quoted as calling Johnson a “coaches dream”.
“When hetakes control and do the things he can, he’s unstoppable,” Jobe said.
Jobe(209-141), who coached the Jags’ for 12 years, will also be inducted into theSU Sports Hall of Fame in late April.
Beforeannouncing his retirement as a player on Oct. 28, 2004, to assume full-timeduties as an assistant coach with the Mavericks, Johnson in his 16-year careerplayed 1,054 games, averaging 8.4 points, 5.5 assists, and 1.7 rebounds in 25.3minutes per game.
He endedhis career as a player with a 3.34 assist-to-turn over ratio, playing in 90playoff games, starting in 73 of those contest as well as winning a NationalBasketball Association (NBA) Championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999.
“I believethat my faith is the number one reason for my success as an NBA player andHebrews 11:1 sums up my whole career,” Johnson said.
