Katherine Elgin/The Daily Princetonian
Yet the pressure of replacing Ed Cooley does not faze Johnson.
“Ed Cooley cannot be replaced, he built this program brick by brick,” Johnson said. “Pressure is a foreign concept to me, it only comes with not being prepared and we certainly will be.”
Johnson led the Princeton Tigers to the 2010-2011 Ivy League Championship and an automatic NCAA Tournament birth. Princeton took the University of Kentucky, an eventual Final Four team, down to the wire in a narrow 59-57 loss.
The Princeton program went through strides of great success under Johnson’s guidance, similar to how Ed Cooley elevated the stature of the Fairfield Stags.
Johnson could not be happier with his acceptance as head coach of the Stags and is excited to join the Fairfield University community.
“The University was extremely welcoming and has already been very supportive. This is an intriguing opportunity and it feels like the perfect fit for me,” he noted.
Although Johnson wants to start a new chapter as a Stag, he will never forget his days as a Tiger, and the impact that both coaching and playing had on him.
“There will always be a tie to Princeton in me, just as President Von Arx has ties to Princeton as well as Georgetown,” Johnson said. “We have to continue to grow and define ourselves over time. Moving onto a new institution is a way of doing this.”
Even though Johnson was only hired within the week, he knows building a relationship with current Fairfield players, as well as incoming recruits, is the first step in getting the team ready to build off last year’s success.
“Moving forward with a new coach always involves a transition. But I have communicated with the players and am trying to get them more familiar with me,” he explained. “I want to know what makes them tick and what motivates them.”
In terms of what to expect from Johnson strategy-wise, he made it clear that he wants the team to be ready to run.
“We want to score at least 70 points every game and play terrific, aggressive defense,” he said.
With this hiring, it is clear that Fairfield basketball will not lose a step with the loss of Cooley. The program is built to win right now and should continue to thrive in the MAAC. A long off-season remains between the Fairfield players and Johnson’s first game as the Stags head coach, but even in early April, both the team and the coach know what their goal is for next year.
“We have work hard every day in order to put ourselves in the position to win,” he said. “We want to win the MAAC and we say that boldly.”
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