Former University of Hawai’i men’s basketball forward Gibson Johnson has returned to the Rainbow Warriors coaching staff as an assistant coach. A former standout post, Johnson previously served as a graduate manager and the team’s director of player development from 2019-22.
Johnson most recently worked as an assistant coach for Utah Tech the past two seasons, where he helped the Trailblazers complete their four-year transition to the NCAA Division I level. In his first year as an assistant at Utah Tech, the team scored an upset over Stephen F. Austin for the program’s first-ever NCAA Division I postseason victory during its Western Athletic Conference Tournament debut. That same year, Utah Tech improved 145 spots in the KenPom national rankings.
“We are thrilled to welcome Gibson and his great family back into our ‘ohana,” Hawai’i coach Eran Ganot said. “It’s been an honor to coach and work with him and to follow his continued progress in Utah. He has built a terrific reputation as a coach, recruiter and mentor and has established himself very clearly as a rising star in this profession.”
As a player, Johnson was a two-year co-captain for the Warriors and earned all-Big West Honorable Mention as a junior. He concluded his career ninth all-time at UH in field goal percentage (.524).
Prior to Hawai’i, Johnson was an all-region player and won a junior college national championship with Salt Lake Community College, where he also eventually landed his first collegiate coaching job during the 2018-19 season.
A native of Centerville, Utah, Johnson earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Master’s degree in Education from UH. He and his wife, Kirsten, have a son, Kai.
“His love for this state, university, and program runs deep and we can’t wait to get to work with him,” Ganot said. “His fingerprints will be all over the program as he’ll be involved in all aspects with a focus on practice planning, scouting, defense, rebounding, recruiting and player development.”