Kwanza Johnson - Assistant Coach - Staff Directory - University of North Texas Athletics

Staff Directory

Kwanza Johnson

Title:
Assistant Coach

Last updated April 2, 2026

Kwanza Johnson was hired to Daniyal Robinson's first UNT coaching staff as an assistant coach on April 16, 2025.

In his first season in Denton (2025-26), Johnson helped guide the Mean Green to a 19-14 overall record and a 9-9 league record. North Texas finished tied for fifth in the American Conference standings and reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 American Conference Tournament. UNT's 19 wins were the second-most in program history by a first-year Mean Green staff and its nine conference wins were also the second-most by a first-year UNT staff. North Texas' .576 win percentage was the second-best ever by a first-year UNT staff in its DI era and the best in 50 years.

UNT featured the league's top scoring defense, holding opponents to 67.4 points per game and racked up 308 steals on the year, which were the second-most in a single season in program history and third-most in American Conference history. UNT featured the second-best turnover margin in American Conference history (+3.7) and the third lowest turnover per game average in program history (11.3).

North Texas had notable victories throughout the season. On Jan. 4 they defeated Tulsa at home 72-67, snapping the Golden Hurricanes' then 10-game winning streak. At the time of the game, Tulsa was ranked No. 38 in the NET. It was UNT's highest ranked NET win since upsetting Purdue in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

The Mean Green also had notable wins over Memphis on Feb. 12, 76-69, Florida Atlantic on Feb. 22, 73-72, and at UAB on March 1, 62-58. North Texas also defeated FAU in its conference tournament opener, 74-70, continuing its streak of consecutive seasons with a conference tournament win to seven in a row.

Johnson was critical in the development of sophomore guard Je'Shawn Stevenson who earned second-team American Conference All-Conference honors as he averaged 17.3 points per game and 2.0 steals per game. His 572 total points scored was the fourth-most in the league that year. Stevenson led UNT in 3-pointers with 74 and his 66 steals were the second most in program history and led the league that season.

Point guard David Terrell Jr. also had a breakout season. The then junior who came to UNT from UTEP set single season career highs in every statistical category and became just the second player in North Texas history to score 400 points (446) and have 150 assists (160) in a single season. Terrell's 160 total assists were the fourth most in a single season in program history.

Johnson joined the Mean Green after two seasons on Robinson’s staff at Cleveland State and with over 25 years of division one coaching experience. In his coaching career Johnson has won eight conference championships, won seven NCAA Tournament games and recruited and mentored numerous NBA draft picks who have gone on to win multiple NBA championships and an Olympic Gold medal.

During his two years at Cleveland State with Robinson, Johnson helped lead the Vikings to back-to-back 20-win seasons. In his second season in Cleveland the Vikings won 23 games, their most single season wins in 14 years. CSU finished second in the Horizon league regular season standings and made the championship game of the 2025 CBI.

CSU earned 10 total Horizon All-Conference honors in Johnson’s two seasons with the Vikings, including two first team honors in Tristan Enaruna in 2024 and Tevin Smith in 2025.

Cleveland State in 2025 ranked in the top two in the Horizon in offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency. The Vikings won 13 straight games from Dec. 7, 2024 through Jan. 30, 2025, their longest win streak in over 28 years.

Prior to his two years at Cleveland State, Johnson served on the staffs at California (2022-23), Tulsa (2019-22), Little Rock (2016-18), TCU (2013-16), Georgia (2009-13), Nevada (2006-09), Eastern Illinois (2005-06) and he got his coaching start at his alma mater Tulsa (1997-05) under Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Self.

While at Georgia from 2009-13, Johnson mentored AP All-American Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who was the 2013 SEC Player of the Year. Caldwell-Pope was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the eighth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. He is a two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and the Denver Nuggets in 2023.

During Johnson’s three-year tenure at Nevada from 2006-09, he coached eventual first round pick, three-time NBA champion and 2020 Olympic gold medalist JaVale McGee.

In total so far, Johnson in his career has mentored nine players who have gone on to be drafted into the NBA: Luke Babbitt, Caldwell-Pope, Nick Frazekas, Armon Johnson, Travis Leslie, McGee, Michael Ruffin, Ramon Sessions and Trey Thompkins.

Johnson also coached current Oklahoma City Thunder Kenrich Williams while at TCU from 2013-16. Williams, whose number was retired by the Horned Frogs, wasn’t drafted but has played seven seasons in the NBA and in 2023 earned a veteran extension contract.

Johnson got his coaching career started in 1997 on Bill Self’s first Golden Hurricane staff. Two years later, Johnson was part of the staff that led Tulsa to a historic 32-win season and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and finished the year ranked No. 18.

An Oklahoma City native, Johnson played college ball first at Rose State College where he was one of the top junior college players in Oklahoma. In 1993 he transferred to Tulsa to play for legendary head coach Tubby Smith. Johnson was a catalyst that ended the Golden Hurricane’s NCAA Tournament win drought as he led his team to two Missouri Valley Conference titles and to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances as its captain and all-league performer.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from TU in 1995 before adding a Juris Doctor degree from the TU College of Law in 1999. He and his wife, Kim, have three children: Kaitlyn, Kendall and Kalli.

Kwanza Johnson Coaching Career
Tulsa (1997-99)
Cal Poly (1999-00)
Little Rock (2000-01)
Tulsa (2001-05)
Eastern Illinois (2005-06)
Nevada (2006-09)
Georgia (2009-13)
TCU (2013-16)
Little Rock (2016-18)
Tulsa (2019-22)
California (2022-23)
Cleveland State (2023-25)
North Texas (2025-present)