Showing posts with label Head Coach Clemon Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Head Coach Clemon Johnson. Show all posts

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Florida A&M Rattlers inks four hoopsters

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida A&M University men's basketball announces their 2011 signing class. The mixture of athletes concentrated on increasing the size of the Rattlers' front line. Four athletes have signed, with three coming from within the state of Florida and one from Georgia.

First year head coach Clemon Johnson, charged assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Tony Sheals, to get some size to bulk up the inside play and toughen the defense. The result is the signing of Eddie D'Haiti, Markee Teal, Nathaniel Drayton and D'Andre Bullard.  



D'Haiti, is from Orlando, Fla., and is a junior college transfer from Santa Fe College. He is 6'8" tall and weighs 235 lbs. He should help the Rattlers in the post position. He was an All-Mid Florida Conference player. He attended Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, where he led the team to a 43-13 record while playing there. He was shown interest by West Virginia, Valdosta St. and FAU.

Teal, is from State College of Florida (formerly Manatee Community College). He is from Ocala, Fla., where he attended Westport High School. He was also a first team Suncoast All-Conference selection as a post player. Teal stands 6'7" and weighs 220 lbs. He was shown interest by B-CU and St. Peters College.

Drayton, who goes by the name "Nate," is originally from Savannah, Ga. He is a junior college transfer from Salkehatchie Community College, where he was an All-Conference performer. Drayton plays the post and is 6'7" and 245 lbs. He was shown interest by Towson State, Coastal Carolina, and S.C. State.

Bullard, is a true freshman from Apopka, Fla. He attended Wekiva High School and was an All-County and All-Region player. He has good height for a point guard, standing 6'4" and 175 lbs. He was shown interest by Northeastern and Stetson University.

By Florida A&M Sports Information

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

FAMU's new coach hopes to reignite Rattlers' basketball

Tallahassee, FL -- Clemon Johnson, a Monticello native who set records at Florida A&M and also wears an NBA championship ring, finally experienced a homecoming Tuesday afternoon that was in the making for 18 years.

With about 200 Florida A&M fans looking on with the Marching 100 and cheerleaders as the backdrop at the Lawson Center, Johnson was introduced as the new men's head basketball coach. He hugged little children, signed autographs and took countless photographs, then pronounced himself ready to rebuild the program that had foundered as a bottom tier team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the past four years.

At the same time, Johnson was at the University of Alaska Fairbanks gaining experience that he said will help him make the Rattlers winners. He was hoping to...



Rattlers welcome home Clemon Johnson

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 31) - Florida A&M University welcomed home one of its favorite sons to lead the men's basketball program today at the Al Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium. Clemon Johnson, was officially presented to alumni, fans and family at a pep rally and press conference in his honor. The world-famous Marching "100" and the MEAC Co-ed Champions Cheerleaders were on hand to add to the excitement.

Johnson was a star basketball player for the Rattlers from 1974-1978. He was an All-SIAC and All-American selection his senior year at FAMU, with several of his records still standing to this day. Johnson went on to a solid career in the NBA, winning a world championship with the Philadelphia 76ers. He later started coaching in the high school ranks, before being hired at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks

FAMU interim Sports Information Director, Vaughn Wilson, presided over the event. FAMU Director of Athletics, Derek Horne, gave the welcome from the FAMU Athletic Department and FAMU President, Dr. James H. Ammons, welcomed the crowd of about 300 people to the event and introduced new head basketball coach Clemon Johnson.

Horne, was excited to have the search completed and a Rattler hired to guide the team. "It's a great day for not only FAMU, but our athletic department. We have an alum coming back to the hill that we think will do a great job for us," said Horne.

Ammons, was emphatic about doing what it takes to regain championship composure for the basketball program. An emphatic Ammons said, " We wanted someone who could come back and ignite that old Rattler spirit. When you think about Rattler sports, you immediately think about some of the great student-athletes who have been a part of this campus. You think of Althea Gibson, Bob Hayes and legendary coach Jake Gaither. Then, when you think about basketball, you think about Clemon Johnson."


Videographer: FAMUTube1887

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Friday, May 27, 2011

Santa Fe Saints D'Haiti Signs with Florida A&M

Eddie D'Haiti
Gainesville, FL - A member of the Santa Fe Saints men's basketball team has signed a letter of intent with Florida A&M University, Coach Chris Mowry announced. Eddie D'Haiti inked with Florida A&M University on May 26, 2011.

D'Haiti joins a FAMU team that finished the 2010-11 season 12-20 overall and 7-9 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Rattlers are coached by newly hired Clemon Johnson, the former head coach at the University of Alaska Fairbanks from 2007-2010. Johnson is a graduate of FAMU (1978) and played 10 years in the NBA, winning a championship with the Portland Trailblazers in 1983.

As a sophomore at SF, 6'8" D'Haiti averaged 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 30 games. For his efforts, he was named to the All Mid-Florida Conference First Team.

D'Haiti will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Florida A&M University Rattlers.

PROFILE
Place of Birth: Orlando, Florida
High School: Oak Ridge High School (Orlando, Florida)
Size: 6-foot-8, 210 Strong Forward, Averaged 16 pts/11 rebounds per game.
Honors: Honorable-Mention Class 6-A All-State Selection, First Team All-Metro, All-Orange County and 2nd-Team All-Central Florida.
Rank: Ranked as one of the top 40 seniors in Florida by FloridaHoops.com and Hoop Scoop. Considered a four-star recruit by the recruiting services.
Colleges: Out of high school, signed NLI with Youngstown State University (Ohio).
Senior Year: Lead Oak Ridge to 21-8 record and advanced to the regional quarterfinals of the state tournament losing to eventual semifinalist Winter Springs (77-67). Pioneers had a 43-13 record during his junior and senior years...coach was Matt Turner.
Prospectus - A transfer from Youngstown State University, D’Haiti is a skilled big man with crafty post moves who can score with his back to the basket or knock down jumpers. Eddie has great court vision, which makes him a very good passer.
Parents: Odilbert Lubin and Rosemonde Milien
Major: Business
Born: January 30, 1989

By Santa Fe College Media Relations


Videographer: ysusports


Friday, May 6, 2011

It's Official! Clemon Johnson Resigns to Coach Division I FAMU

After four seasons at the helm of the University of Alaska Fairbanks men's basketball team, head coach Clemon Johnson is stepping down to take a Division I head coaching job at his alma mater, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).

Johnson finishes with a 28-74 overall record with the Nanooks (NCAA Division II).

Alaska fell just short of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs this season after finishing 8-17 (5-13 GNAC). He also recruited and coached the 2010-11 Ron Lenz National Player of the Year, Parrish West.

"The best part of my job is watching student-athletes go on to distinguished careers and seeing staff members pursue their dreams and move on to exciting professional opportunities,” Alaska Director of Athletics Forrest Karr said. “I couldn't be happier for Clem and his family."

Johnson played for FAMU from 1974-1978, during which time he set rebounding records for a single game (25), a season (412) and a career (1,494). Those records still stand, and he still ranks in the top-twenty in scoring with 1,381 points.

“The opportunity to return home is another blessed moment in my life,” Johnson said. “The departure from UAF is a bittersweet moment. I felt the incoming class and the returning players would recreate the stir heard during earlier years in the GNAC.

“But coming home to Florida A&M University allows me to continue my growth in my desired profession on another level. The past four years has been a great learning experience for my coaching and life development. The athletic staff, my coaching staff and administrators have provided guidance, patience, encouragement and knowledge.”

FAMU Head Basketball Coach Clem Johnson
(Photos courtesy of University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics)
After graduating from FAMU with a degree in economics, Johnson was drafted to the NBA by the Portland Trailblazers in the second round of the 1978 draft. He played 761 professional games with four different teams, including the Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and Seattle Supersonics.

Johnson retired from the NBA in 1988 and went on to play five years of professional basketball in Italy.

He then began coaching at the high school level in Florida before taking on a coaching internship with the Atlanta Hawks in 2006 and eventually making his way to Fairbanks the next year.

Last season, FAMU finished 12-20 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They made the MEAC tournament, but lost 87-85 to Maryland Eastern Shore in the first round.

Alaska's head coaching position is posted on UAKjobs.com, NCAA.org and on various college coaching websites. The position will remain posted through Tuesday, May 17. A final decision will be announced by the end of May.

“It is with this presentation of support that I move forward confident of the job I retired for 18 years ago,” Johnson said. “I will always be grateful to Fairbanks and UAF.”

Courtesy University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics
Author: Nick Steyn

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