Austin Johnson
Head Mens CoachLewis Clark State College
Topic: TBA
Time: Sunday 9:00 am - Main Gym
Bio: Austin Johnson begins his seventh season at the helm of the Warriors in 2024-25. The NABC NAIA Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2020, 2021) he led LC State to the program’s first national title game in 2021 and finished the season with the best winning percentage in program history (.917) with a record of 22-2. Johnson earned his 100th win as a head coach (Corban and LC State) during the 2020-21 season, and his 100th win at LC State on Feb. 12, 2022 against Corban. He spent the summer of 2022 as a guest coach with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Summer League. He has been named Conference Coach of the Year three times (2019-20, 2020-21, 2023-24).
In his first three seasons as head coach at Lewis-Clark State, Johnson has helped guide LC to the best back-to-back-to-back seasons in school history with a combined record of 81-12. During this stretch they had a conference record of 28-8, a postseason record of 14-2 and have two wins against NCAA DI competition. The Warriors have won three conference titles under Johnson, including the Cascade Conference title in the school’s first season as full members of the CCC. LC State returned to Kansas City in 2024 after stunning both Hope International (Calif.) and No. 8 Montana Tech in the Butte First and Second Round to advance to the NAIA Round of 16. Jaedon Bradley was named the CCC Newcomer of the Year, Alton Hamilton was voted the Freshman of the Year and Johnson earned Coach of the Year honors.
The 2020-21 team faced adversity and put together one of the best seasons in program history. As one of just two Cascade Conference teams playing due to COVID, LC battled its way through an entirely non-conference schedule that included a trip to Arizona. The Warriors swept the College of Idaho in the CCC Tournament Championship to clinch an automatic bid into the national tournament. LC hosted the Opening Round and advanced easily to the Round of 16. The Warriors defeated Oklahoma Wesleyan, Loyola (La.) and SAGU (Texas) before falling to Shawnee State (Ohio) in the title game.
Warrior standout Damek Mitchell was voted the Cascade Conference Player of the Year, a First-Team All-American and was named to the prestigious NABC All-America team. He was later named the Cascade Conference Male Athlete of the Year. Johnson’s squad also included the CCC Defender of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, and Johnson was named the Coach of the Year. Trystan Bradley was also named an All-American, and Bradley and Hodges Bailey were voted CoSIDA Academic All-District. Bailey went on to be named the first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-American in program history.
The 2019-2020 team finished with a 29-3 record en route to a regular season Frontier Conference Championship. The Warriors also won the Frontier Conference Tournament in convincing fashion with a 21-point win over Carroll College. It marked the second consecutive season that LC won both the regular season conference championship as well as the conference tournament championship. Before the NAIA season was canceled, the Warriors were ranked sixth in the country and selected as a No. 2 seed for the NAIA National Tournament. The 2020 season culminated with Johnson being awarded the 2020 NABC NAIA DI National Coach of the Year.
In his first year at the helm, Johnson’s 2018-19 Warriors tied for the Frontier Conference title, winning their last eight conference games. The men then swept the Frontier Conference Tournament, extending their winning streak to 11 games. Johnson’s hoopsters continued their streak to 14 games by winning their first three games in the NAIA National Tournament before being eliminated in the semi-final game. It marked the first time in Warrior history that the men’s team advanced into the semis.
The team finished with a 30-7 record, one short of the school record. Three of Johnson’s players were named to the All-Frontier Conference team, and two were named to the NAIA All-American team. In addition, two Warriors were named NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athletes.
Johnson has had his student-athletes earn All-American status six times.
Johnson returned to Lewis-Clark State College as the head men's basketball coach after spending two seasons as head coach at Corban University in Oregon.
An assistant coach at LC from 2010-16, Johnson led Corban's Warriors to levels of success they hadn't experienced in more than a decade. The 2017-18 team finished 17-13 for the highest winning percentage since 2005. Among his players, he counted two first-team all-conference selections and two COSIDA Academic All-Americans.
His 2016-17 team, an underdog in the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament, swept through the postseason to become the first and only No. 8 seed to claim the league title and the automatic berth into the NAIA Division II National Tournament. Corban, which advanced to the nationals for only the fifth time in school history, lost in the first round of the tournament to the defending National Champions. They were also awarded the tournament’s Naismith-Liston Sportsmanship Award.
Johnson's career in the Northwest began in 2010 when he was hired as LCSC's assistant coach. He was ultimately named the Associate Head Coach entering the 2015 season. During his time on staff the Warriors averaged over 20 wins per year, won three regular-season Frontier Conference titles and two Frontier Conference Tournament Championships.
Prior to LCSC, he spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at Western Illinois University for Jim Molinari. He started his career as a volunteer assistant coach at Odessa Junior College in Texas, where he worked for NJCAA Hall of Fame Coach Dennis Helms.
Johnson earned his Master's in Sports Management at WIU after graduating in 2008 from Oklahoma Wesleyan University with a Business Marketing degree.
Originally hailing from Wichita, Kan., Johnson enrolled at Butler CC before transferring to Oklahoma Wesleyan where he was a starter in his final two seasons. He finished with 1,207 career points and drained more than 250 3-pointers. While captaining the squad during his senior season, he led Oklahoma Wesleyan to a 26-8 record, marking the best season ever for the team. Ultimately, the team made its first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament where it advanced to the round of 16. For his efforts, he was a two-time All-Midlands Conference selection, and he was named Oklahoma Wesleyan's Male Athlete of the Year in 2008.
Additionally, Johnson has been active in volunteer and ministry work with both the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action.
Austin is married to Kelli (Tikker) who is a former LC Volleyball player and NAIA All-American. The couple have three children: Koufax, Mays and Maris.
Time: Sunday 9:00 am - Main Gym
Bio: Austin Johnson begins his seventh season at the helm of the Warriors in 2024-25. The NABC NAIA Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2020, 2021) he led LC State to the program’s first national title game in 2021 and finished the season with the best winning percentage in program history (.917) with a record of 22-2. Johnson earned his 100th win as a head coach (Corban and LC State) during the 2020-21 season, and his 100th win at LC State on Feb. 12, 2022 against Corban. He spent the summer of 2022 as a guest coach with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Summer League. He has been named Conference Coach of the Year three times (2019-20, 2020-21, 2023-24).
In his first three seasons as head coach at Lewis-Clark State, Johnson has helped guide LC to the best back-to-back-to-back seasons in school history with a combined record of 81-12. During this stretch they had a conference record of 28-8, a postseason record of 14-2 and have two wins against NCAA DI competition. The Warriors have won three conference titles under Johnson, including the Cascade Conference title in the school’s first season as full members of the CCC. LC State returned to Kansas City in 2024 after stunning both Hope International (Calif.) and No. 8 Montana Tech in the Butte First and Second Round to advance to the NAIA Round of 16. Jaedon Bradley was named the CCC Newcomer of the Year, Alton Hamilton was voted the Freshman of the Year and Johnson earned Coach of the Year honors.
The 2020-21 team faced adversity and put together one of the best seasons in program history. As one of just two Cascade Conference teams playing due to COVID, LC battled its way through an entirely non-conference schedule that included a trip to Arizona. The Warriors swept the College of Idaho in the CCC Tournament Championship to clinch an automatic bid into the national tournament. LC hosted the Opening Round and advanced easily to the Round of 16. The Warriors defeated Oklahoma Wesleyan, Loyola (La.) and SAGU (Texas) before falling to Shawnee State (Ohio) in the title game.
Warrior standout Damek Mitchell was voted the Cascade Conference Player of the Year, a First-Team All-American and was named to the prestigious NABC All-America team. He was later named the Cascade Conference Male Athlete of the Year. Johnson’s squad also included the CCC Defender of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, and Johnson was named the Coach of the Year. Trystan Bradley was also named an All-American, and Bradley and Hodges Bailey were voted CoSIDA Academic All-District. Bailey went on to be named the first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-American in program history.
The 2019-2020 team finished with a 29-3 record en route to a regular season Frontier Conference Championship. The Warriors also won the Frontier Conference Tournament in convincing fashion with a 21-point win over Carroll College. It marked the second consecutive season that LC won both the regular season conference championship as well as the conference tournament championship. Before the NAIA season was canceled, the Warriors were ranked sixth in the country and selected as a No. 2 seed for the NAIA National Tournament. The 2020 season culminated with Johnson being awarded the 2020 NABC NAIA DI National Coach of the Year.
In his first year at the helm, Johnson’s 2018-19 Warriors tied for the Frontier Conference title, winning their last eight conference games. The men then swept the Frontier Conference Tournament, extending their winning streak to 11 games. Johnson’s hoopsters continued their streak to 14 games by winning their first three games in the NAIA National Tournament before being eliminated in the semi-final game. It marked the first time in Warrior history that the men’s team advanced into the semis.
The team finished with a 30-7 record, one short of the school record. Three of Johnson’s players were named to the All-Frontier Conference team, and two were named to the NAIA All-American team. In addition, two Warriors were named NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athletes.
Johnson has had his student-athletes earn All-American status six times.
Johnson returned to Lewis-Clark State College as the head men's basketball coach after spending two seasons as head coach at Corban University in Oregon.
An assistant coach at LC from 2010-16, Johnson led Corban's Warriors to levels of success they hadn't experienced in more than a decade. The 2017-18 team finished 17-13 for the highest winning percentage since 2005. Among his players, he counted two first-team all-conference selections and two COSIDA Academic All-Americans.
His 2016-17 team, an underdog in the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament, swept through the postseason to become the first and only No. 8 seed to claim the league title and the automatic berth into the NAIA Division II National Tournament. Corban, which advanced to the nationals for only the fifth time in school history, lost in the first round of the tournament to the defending National Champions. They were also awarded the tournament’s Naismith-Liston Sportsmanship Award.
Johnson's career in the Northwest began in 2010 when he was hired as LCSC's assistant coach. He was ultimately named the Associate Head Coach entering the 2015 season. During his time on staff the Warriors averaged over 20 wins per year, won three regular-season Frontier Conference titles and two Frontier Conference Tournament Championships.
Prior to LCSC, he spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at Western Illinois University for Jim Molinari. He started his career as a volunteer assistant coach at Odessa Junior College in Texas, where he worked for NJCAA Hall of Fame Coach Dennis Helms.
Johnson earned his Master's in Sports Management at WIU after graduating in 2008 from Oklahoma Wesleyan University with a Business Marketing degree.
Originally hailing from Wichita, Kan., Johnson enrolled at Butler CC before transferring to Oklahoma Wesleyan where he was a starter in his final two seasons. He finished with 1,207 career points and drained more than 250 3-pointers. While captaining the squad during his senior season, he led Oklahoma Wesleyan to a 26-8 record, marking the best season ever for the team. Ultimately, the team made its first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament where it advanced to the round of 16. For his efforts, he was a two-time All-Midlands Conference selection, and he was named Oklahoma Wesleyan's Male Athlete of the Year in 2008.
Additionally, Johnson has been active in volunteer and ministry work with both the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action.
Austin is married to Kelli (Tikker) who is a former LC Volleyball player and NAIA All-American. The couple have three children: Koufax, Mays and Maris.