Ric Johnson has joined the UT Martin men’s basketball staff as its director of operations.
Johnson, a part of a record-setting class who played under Skyhawk head coach Anthony Stewart when he was an assistant at Ohio University, brings five years of basketball administrative experience to UTM.
Johnson spent last season as an assistant coach under Gerad Good at Manchester University, a NCAA Division III school located in North Manchester, Indiana.
Prior to his stint at Manchester, Johnson was a graduate assistant for two years under head coach Chris Mack at Xavier University. Johnson played an integral role in player and team development for the Musketeers, who reached the Elite Eight round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament and earned the 2017-18 Big East Conference regular season championship. During Johnson’s tenure, Xavier spent a combined 58 weeks in the Associated Press top-25 rankings while posting a 53-20 overall record.
Johnson was a volunteer assistant coach at Panola College in 2015-16, working under head coach Grant McMillan at the junior college located in Carthage, Texas. The Ponies finished with a 24-9 record and finished as runner-up in NJCAA Region XIV with Johnson on the sidelines. He also served as freshman boy’s head coach at his alma mater Holmes High School for one year following his collegiate playing career.
A Covington, Kentucky native, Johnson was part of an unprecedented era of Ohio basketball success, as he was part of the all-time winningest class (97 victories) in Bobcat history. He helped Ohio capture three Mid-American Conference championships and advance to the postseason in all four years as a student-athlete, playing in 118 career games under head coaches John Groce and Jim Christian from 2010-14. That included the Bobcats’ extended run during the 2012 NCAA Tournament, as Ohio eventually fell to No. 1 seed North Carolina in overtime of the Sweet 16 round.
A decorated prep standout, Johnson guided Holmes High School to the 2009 state championship in Rupp Arena. He was named Kentucky’s Region 9 Player of the Year and was crowned as the KHSAA Sweet 16 Most Valuable Player during his junior season.
Johnson graduated with a bachelor of science degree in communications from Ohio in 2014. He completed his Master’s degree in sports administration from Xavier in 2018.
