Clemon Johnson
Clemon James Johnson Jr. is an American former professional basketball player and the former head basketball coach at Florida A&M. Johnson was a 6'10", center who played 761 games for four teams during his 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association. From 1974 to 1978 he played college basketball at Florida A&M University where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in sports management.
Johnson was selected with the 22nd pick of the second round of the 1978 [NBA draft] by the Portland Trail Blazers. He was acquired along with a 1984 third-round selection by the Philadelphia 76ers from the Indiana Pacers for Russ Schoene, a 1983 first-rounder and a 1984 second-rounder on February 15, 1983. He famously said that his trade to the 76ers was "like going from the outhouse to the White House." He was a reserve with the team when it won the NBA Championship later that season. After his NBA playing days ended in 1988, Johnson extended his career overseas in Italy.
After his professional basketball career, Johnson became an economics teacher and high school basketball coach in Tallahassee, Florida. His son Chad played college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh until 2002.
In May 2007, Clemon Johnson was named interim head coach of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks men's basketball team. He served as interim head coach in 2007–08 and was named head coach following that season. He has coached the team for four total seasons. On May 6, 2011, Johnson was named head coach at his alma mater, Florida A&M. After three seasons and a 32–64 record, Johnson was fired from Florida A&M by athletic director Kellen Winslow.