Trent Johnson will be named TCU's 20th basketball coach Monday, a high-ranking TCU official said.
With the hiring of Johnson, who just finished his fourth year at LSU, TCU will most likely have to dramatically increase what it pays its head basketball coach. Johnson makes around $1.2 million at LSU. Former TCU coach Jim Christian was making around $590,000.
Johnson’s Tigers went 18-14 this season, finished eighth in the Southeastern Conference, and earned an NIT berth. After going 27-8 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2008-09, Johnson’s LSU teams went 11-20 in consecutive years.
Johnson fits the profile of what one high-ranking TCU source said the Frogs were looking for – a current head coach who has won before who wanted a change of scenery. Johnson's contract runs through 2015, according to reports.
TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte has asked LSU’s permission to officially interview Johnson, according to a source.
Johnson coached four years at Stanford (2004-08) before going to LSU. The Cardinal finished 28-8 in his last year and advanced to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16. Johnson’s Stanford teams earned NCAA tournament bids three times and an NIT berth once.
Before coaching at Stanford Johnson led Nevada for five years, and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in his final year there in 2003-04.
Johnson was an assistant coach at Washington in 1989-92 and then an assistant at Rice (1992-96). Del Conte was AD at Rice from 2006-09 and an earned his master's at Washington State.
-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs
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