Vincent Frank
It may seem like an awkward fit, but it appears that former NBA head coach and player Avery Johnson has agreed to become the University of Alabama’s men’s basketball coach.
ESPN’s Jeff Goodman is reporting that Johnson has made a verbal agreement to join the program.
Avery Johnson has made a verbal agreement to coach at Alabama, sources told ESPN. Contract details being finalized.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 5, 2015
Johnson, 50, played 16 seasons in the NBA where he won a NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs.
Johnson also has a nice amount of head coaching experience in the professional ranks. He led the Dallas Mavericks to the playoffs four times, including a Finals appearance, in three-plus seasons as the team’s head coach. Taking over for a downtrodden New Jersey Nets team, Johnson lasted less than three years with the organization, and was fired during its first season in Brooklyn back in 2012-2013.
This hiring is somewhat of a coup for the Crimson Tide. Known mostly for its football program, basketball has taken a back seat at the school for decades now. Coming off a 19-15 season, Alabama has earned a total of one NCAA Tournament appearance over the course of the past nine seasons.
Photo: USA Today Sports
