Men's Basketball
Estelle, Johnny
Johnny Estelle
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- Johnny.Estelle@unt.edu
- Phone:
- 940-565-3654
- Alma Mater:
- Texas A&M-Kingsville
Johnny Estelle was hired to the Mean Green men's basketball coaching staff on April 28, 2023 to be on head coach Ross Hodge's first staff. Estelle, who began his coaching career in 1996 at his alma mater Texas A&M-Kingsville, enters the 2024-25 season with 28 years of coaching experience.
In Estelle's first season on the Mean Green staff UNT won 19 total games and reached the second round of the National Invitation Tournament. North Texas posted a 10-8 league record In what was its first season in the American Athletic Conference. The 10 league wins and .555 league winning percentage were both the best by a first-year UNT men's basketball staff. Estelle helped mentor guard Jason Edwards to first-team all-conference honors as he scored 650 total points, which was the fifth-most in a single season in program history.
Following the season, Estelle was named the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches D1 Assistant Coach of the Year.
UNT in 2023-24 overcame significant injuries to three starters and had notable wins over LSU, Memphis, Northern Iowa and SMU. The Mean Green featured the league's best and the nation's No. 12 scoring defense as they held opponents to 63.8 points per game. Offensively, North Texas led the league in 3-point shooting as they shot 37.7 percent from deep. It was the nation's 14th best 3-point field goal percentage.
The Mean Green earned an at-large bid to the 2024 NIT where they defeated LSU on the road, 84-77, in the first round. UNT was the only team in the NCAA Tournament or NIT led by a head coach in his first season as a NCAA head coach.
Estelle joined UNT after nine seasons as Texas A&M Kingsville's head coach where he guided the Javelinas to a 137-112 overall record and four NCAA DII Tournament appearances, including three since 2020 and its first NCAA DII Tournament win in program history. Prior to Estelle's arrival in Kingsville, the Hogs had only made four national tournaments in their then 89-year history and had never made consecutive tournaments before.
Two of the program's four best single season win totals are under Estelle, who graduated from TAMUK in 1998 and was an all-conference player for the Javelinas. He took over the program in 2014, which hadn't had a winning season in five years at that point.
In just Estelle's third season as TAMUK's head coach in 2016-17 he led the Javelinas to a 19-win season, which was tied for its most single season wins in 21 years. That season they defeated No. 9 Tarleton State during the regular season and No. 17 UT Permian Basin in the NCAA DII Tournament for the program's first-ever tournament win.
Prior to Texas A&M Kingsville, Estelle was an assistant coach for one season at Houston in 2013-14 under James Dickey.
His stint with the Cougars came after 13 seasons at Navarro College where he spent the final six as the Bulldogs' head coach and averaged 25 wins a year and won four Region XIV championships. They reached the 2010 NJCAA National Tournament semifinal round.
Estelle and his Navarro staff were successful in placing 21 of their student-athletes in NCAA Division I programs while retaining a 93.7 percent graduation rate during his tenure.
COACHING CAREER
2023-present North Texas Assistant Coach
2014-23 Texas A&M-Kingsville Head Coach (137-112 record)
2013-14 Houston Assistant Coach
2008-13 Navarro College Head Coach (126-48 record)
2000-08 Navarro College Assistant Coach
1999-00 Northland Pioneer College Assistant Coach
1998-99 Texas A&M-Kingsville Graduate Assistant Coach
1996-98 Texas A&M-Kingsville Student Assistant Coach
COACHING NOTES
• USA Basketball U19 Olympics Court Coach (2009)
• 137-112 as head coach at Texas A&M Kingsville
• 126-48 as head coach at Navarro College
• 2010 NJCAA National Tournament semifinals
• Region XIV Coach of the Year (2012, 2010, 2009)
• Three NJCAA National Tournament appearances
• Nine Region XIV Tournament appearances
• Two NJCAA All-America First-Team honorees
• Two Region XIV Conference Players of the Year
• Three Region XIV Tournament Most Valuable Players
• 12 Region XIV All-Conference members
• 17 NCAA Division I student-athletes
• One NCAA Regional Tournament appearance (2016-17)
In Estelle's first season on the Mean Green staff UNT won 19 total games and reached the second round of the National Invitation Tournament. North Texas posted a 10-8 league record In what was its first season in the American Athletic Conference. The 10 league wins and .555 league winning percentage were both the best by a first-year UNT men's basketball staff. Estelle helped mentor guard Jason Edwards to first-team all-conference honors as he scored 650 total points, which was the fifth-most in a single season in program history.
Following the season, Estelle was named the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches D1 Assistant Coach of the Year.
UNT in 2023-24 overcame significant injuries to three starters and had notable wins over LSU, Memphis, Northern Iowa and SMU. The Mean Green featured the league's best and the nation's No. 12 scoring defense as they held opponents to 63.8 points per game. Offensively, North Texas led the league in 3-point shooting as they shot 37.7 percent from deep. It was the nation's 14th best 3-point field goal percentage.
The Mean Green earned an at-large bid to the 2024 NIT where they defeated LSU on the road, 84-77, in the first round. UNT was the only team in the NCAA Tournament or NIT led by a head coach in his first season as a NCAA head coach.
Estelle joined UNT after nine seasons as Texas A&M Kingsville's head coach where he guided the Javelinas to a 137-112 overall record and four NCAA DII Tournament appearances, including three since 2020 and its first NCAA DII Tournament win in program history. Prior to Estelle's arrival in Kingsville, the Hogs had only made four national tournaments in their then 89-year history and had never made consecutive tournaments before.
Two of the program's four best single season win totals are under Estelle, who graduated from TAMUK in 1998 and was an all-conference player for the Javelinas. He took over the program in 2014, which hadn't had a winning season in five years at that point.
In just Estelle's third season as TAMUK's head coach in 2016-17 he led the Javelinas to a 19-win season, which was tied for its most single season wins in 21 years. That season they defeated No. 9 Tarleton State during the regular season and No. 17 UT Permian Basin in the NCAA DII Tournament for the program's first-ever tournament win.
Prior to Texas A&M Kingsville, Estelle was an assistant coach for one season at Houston in 2013-14 under James Dickey.
His stint with the Cougars came after 13 seasons at Navarro College where he spent the final six as the Bulldogs' head coach and averaged 25 wins a year and won four Region XIV championships. They reached the 2010 NJCAA National Tournament semifinal round.
Estelle and his Navarro staff were successful in placing 21 of their student-athletes in NCAA Division I programs while retaining a 93.7 percent graduation rate during his tenure.
COACHING CAREER
2023-present North Texas Assistant Coach
2014-23 Texas A&M-Kingsville Head Coach (137-112 record)
2013-14 Houston Assistant Coach
2008-13 Navarro College Head Coach (126-48 record)
2000-08 Navarro College Assistant Coach
1999-00 Northland Pioneer College Assistant Coach
1998-99 Texas A&M-Kingsville Graduate Assistant Coach
1996-98 Texas A&M-Kingsville Student Assistant Coach
COACHING NOTES
• USA Basketball U19 Olympics Court Coach (2009)
• 137-112 as head coach at Texas A&M Kingsville
• 126-48 as head coach at Navarro College
• 2010 NJCAA National Tournament semifinals
• Region XIV Coach of the Year (2012, 2010, 2009)
• Three NJCAA National Tournament appearances
• Nine Region XIV Tournament appearances
• Two NJCAA All-America First-Team honorees
• Two Region XIV Conference Players of the Year
• Three Region XIV Tournament Most Valuable Players
• 12 Region XIV All-Conference members
• 17 NCAA Division I student-athletes
• One NCAA Regional Tournament appearance (2016-17)
Daniyal Robinson Introductory Press Conference | Mean Green MBB
Monday, April 07
DANIYAL ROBINSON INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE
Wednesday, April 02
Recap vs Oklahoma State | NIT 2025 | Mean Green MBB
Thursday, March 27
Broadcast Highlights vs Charlotte| Mean Green MBB
Friday, March 07
