UCI loses Johnson to USC

Mike Johnson, an assistant coach last season with the UC Irvine men’s

basketball team, has been hired as an assistant at USC, the Trojans

announced Monday.

Johnson, 34, helped the Anteaters post a 20-9 record in 2002-03,

including a second-place finish in the Big West Conference. Johnson’s

assignments at Irvine included working with the post players and

recruiting for Coach Pat Douglass.

Prior to coaching at UCI, he spent nine seasons as an assistant at

Cal State Northridge, the final three as the program’s first

associate head coach. He worked with the Matador post players and

also coordinated the offense. He also served as recruiting

coordinator at Northridge and was responsible for the 1997-98 class

that included Brian Heinle, the program’s career scoring leader.

Heinle is playing professionally in Europe.

A 1991 graduate of Purdue, Johnson was an undergraduate assistant

for Boilermakers Coach Gene Keady for three seasons, from 1988-91.