USF Men's Basketball Camps
Head Coach Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson will enter his second season as the head coach of the University of Sioux Falls men’s basketball team in 2009-10. It only took one season for the second-year coach to make his mark on the program.

Johnson coached the 2008-09 Cougars to a Sweet 16 appearance at the NAIA Men’s Division II National Basketball Tournament in Point Lookout, Missouri.

The Cougars advanced to the tournament’s second round by upsetting third-seeded Cedarville University (Ohio), 66-63, in round one. USF’s magic run in the tournament ended in a loss to eventual national Runner-up College of the Ozarks. Despite the defeat, it marked the first time since 2004 that the Cougars advanced to the second round.

Under Johnson’s direction, Sioux Falls won the 2008-09 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) postseason tournament championship. Sioux Falls won a remarkable four road games in eight days in the tournament to earn the GPAC’s second automatic bid to nationals. The postseason crown was the third in four years for USF.

Johnson guided Sioux Falls to the 20-win plateau for the eighth time in nine seasons.

Before arriving in Sioux Falls, Johnson was the top assistant coach for three seasons at the University of North Dakota.

Prior to joining the UND coaching staff, Johnson spent the 2004-05 season as head coach at Culver-Stockton College.

In his lone season as head coach, Johnson led the Wildcats to a 16-15 record, an improvement from the team’s 12-19 record the season prior to his arrival.

He was named 2004-05 Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the team to the first home conference playoff game in program history.

Prior to arriving at Culver-Stockton, Johnson served as an assistant coach at Minot State from 2001-04. Before that he served as an assistant at Minnesota State, Mankato (1999-2001) and Central College (1998-99) in Pella, Iowa.

Johnson was a two-year starter as a guard, lettering four times, at Central College and graduated in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science.

He received a master’s degree in sports administration from Minnesota State, Mankato, in 2005.

Johnson and his wife, Amy, have one daughter, Bailey