July 19, 2011

Contact: Greg Murphy

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Samba Johnson, who spent last season as a manager with the Cleveland State men's basketball program, has been named the Director of Basketball Operations.

"I am ecstatic to have Samba move into the role of Director of Operations," head coach Gary Waters said. "He is very familiar with our program having spent last season as a graduate manager and I believe he will add a great deal of experience to an already experienced staff.

"Samba has a great work ethic and knows what it takes to be successful. It has been a joy to watch him grow over this last year and I look forward to him continuing his commitment to the CSU family."

Johnson has more than 10 years of experience as a coach at the college level, most recently as an assistant women's coach at Stetson in 2008-09 where he was in charge of academic supervision.

Johnson began his coaching career as an assistant men's coach at McCook (Neb.) C.C. during the 1996-97 season.

He earned his first head coaching job the next year and spent three seasons (1997-00) at Penn State-New Kensington, winning back-to-back Penn State Commonwealth Campus West Division Coach of the Year awards. He was also the 1998-99 Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year.

After a year as the Director of Operations at Duquesne, Johnson spent the 2001-02 season as an assistant men's coach at Charleston, helping the program to the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament.

Johnson also has coaching stints at LaRoche College, Ohio, Casper College and Friends University.

As an assistant coach at Friends, Johnson helped the program to the 2008 KCAC tournament title and an appearance in the 2008 NAIA national tournament.

A 1996 graduate of Chaminade University, Johnson was a Second Team All-Pac West Conference selection as a senior. Prior to attending Chaminade, Johnson played two seasons at Robert Morris (1992-94).

He earned a Bachelor's of Business Administration from Chaminade in 1996.