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By Su Ann Bird

 

South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford announced that Ray S. Johnson has been named as the new assistant coach for the SGTC men’s intercollegiate basketball team for the 2024-2025 season.  He also will teach in the SGTC Sports & Fitness Management academic program.

Johnson has served as a men’s basketball assistant coach at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL, where he concentrated on Player Development/Strength and Conditioning and defense.  He helped monitor the budget, travel, eligibility and all logistical maters in that role.

“We are very fortunate to have Johnson associated with our college basketball program and teaching in the Sports and Fitness Management program,” said SGTC President Watford.  “He has experience at the collegiate level and in the military.  I think the experience and knowledge he brings to the college and to the athletic program will be a definite asset.”

Prior to joining Tuskegee University, Johnson also served as an assistant men’s basketball coach with Columbus State University in Columbus, GA and at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, HI.  He worked as an Associated Head Coach for the Men’s Basketball program for All Army Sports at Fort Sam in Houston, Texas for four years.  He is retired from the US Army.

Other positions include working with men’s basketball programs at Indiana University SE in New Albany, IN, Augusta State University in Augusta, GA, US Army Pacific at Camp Humphrey and the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.

As the SGTC assistant coach for the men’s intercollege basketball team and a Sports and Fitness Management Instructor, Johnson’s duties will include classroom instruction, coaching, recruiting, scheduling, marketing, clerical, budgeting, supervision of team and staff, travel and training and other duties as assigned.  Fifty percent of his duties will be dedicated to instruction or other duties based on his credentials and work experience.

He will report to SGTC Vice President of Academic Affairs Julie Partain, Athletic Director Jason Carpenter, and Jets Head Basketball coach Chris Ballauer.

Johnson holds a Bachelors of Science in Management from the University of Phoenix and a Master’s in Coaching & Sports Administration from Concordia University in Irvine, CA.

The Jets were 18 – 12 in 2023 – 2024 and advanced to the semi-finals of the NJCAA Region XVII tournament.  The Jets are 48 – 46 under head coach Chris Ballauer.  They qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament in the 2021 – 2022 season in his first season as head coach.   That year, the Jets won the GCAA Conference Tournament by upsetting Georgia Highlands 78 – 70 in overtime to earn the right to advance to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, KS for the third time in the history of the program.  The Jets lost to the South Plains Texans of Texas in the first round of the national tournament.  They finished the season with a 22 – 12 record and were ranked 19^th in the nation.