Nikita Johnson was promoted to associate head coach on Sept. 1, 2023. He initially joined UTRGV as an assistant coach in April 2021 after working with head coach Matt Figger at Austin Peay for the previous two seasons. During that time, Johnson helped Austin Peay to 35-25 (.583) record, including a 21-win season in 2019-20.
As UTRGV’s recruiting coordinator, Johnson has played a significant role in most signings, including Justin Johnson,who earned All-WAC First Team honors in 2022-23 and All-WAC Second Team and WAC All-Newcomer honors in 2021-22, and Daylen Williams, who was named UTRGV Male Newcomer of the Year in 2023.
Off the court, five of Nikita Johnson’s recruits have earned Academic All-WAC honors. These student-athletes have also contributed greatly to the community, as UTRGV men’s basketball led all NCAA Division I men’s teams across all sports in community service.
During the 2022-23 season, Johnson helped the Vaqueros nearly double their win total, jumping to 15 wins with a handful of tight losses that kept the team just a few possessions away from 20 wins. The Vaqueros had to replace 13 players from the 2021-22 season and Johnson was a main component in building this squad of mostly newcomers.
Johnson started his coaching career in 1981 at Chipola College, where he was part of six conference titles before serving two seasons at West Georgia and two more at Odessa College.
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Johnson made the jump to NCAA Division I in 1993 in his first of two seasons as an assistant coach at Murray State. He has also assisted on staffs at Duquesne (1995-98), Tennessee State (1998), New Orleans (1998-2004), LSU (2004-07), Louisiana Tech (2007-10), Louisiana (2010-12), Stetson (2013-17) and Western Kentucky (2017-19).
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While at LSU, Johnson helped his team to an SEC West title and the 2006 Final Four.
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Johnson has a proven track record of developing players to play professionally, with more than 50 players moving on to the next level, including NBA players Brandon Bass, Glen Davis, Mike James, Moochie Norris, Elfrid Payton, and Tyrus Thomas.
Originally from Greenwood, Fla., Johnson earned all-region, all-county, and all-district honors at Marianna High School. He helped his team go 76-10 in three seasons, including two runner-up finishes in the state playoffs in 1977 and 1978.
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Johnson earned his Associate of Arts degree at Chipola in 1981 and his Bachelor of Arts at West Georgia in 1989.
