South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford announced that Ray S. Johnson has been named the new assistant coach of the SGTC men’s intercollegiate basketball team for the 2024-2025 season. He will also teach in the SGTC Sports & Fitness Management academic program.
Johnson served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL, where he focused on player development/strength and conditioning and defense. He helped monitor the budget, travel, eligibility and all the logistical issues of this 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 university and military level. I think the experience and knowledge he brings to the college and athletic program will be a definite asset.”
Prior to joining Tuskegee University, Johnson also served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Columbus State University in Columbus, GA and Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, HI. He worked as the associate head coach of the Army All Sports men’s basketball program 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 Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.
As the SGTC assistant coach of the men’s intercollegiate basketball team and sports management and fitness instructor, Johnson’s duties will include classroom instruction, coaching, recruiting, scheduling, marketing, administrative, budgeting, staff and staff supervision, travel and training and other functions. as assigned. Fifty percent of his duties will be dedicated to instruction or other duties based on his credentials and professional 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 bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a master’s degree in Coaching and Sports Administration from Concordia University in Irvine, CA.
The Jets are 18-12 in 2023-2024 and advanced to the semifinals 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 defeating 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 program history. 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 19th in the country.
