Assistant Kenny Johnson out at La Salle after he was named in NCAA notice to Louisville
Kenny Johnson is out at La Salle, just days after he was mentioned in the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations to Louisville, the school announced on Monday.
Johnson was hired as an assistant at La Salle in 2018, shortly after he was fired from Louisville following the FBI’s massive investigation into corruption in college basketball.
“Kenny Johnson is no longer a member of our men’s basketball staff,” La Salle said in a statement, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Per University policy, we will not comment further on this personnel matter.
“The recent Notice of Allegations released by the NCAA was related to Johnson’s tenure on the coaching staff at the University of Louisville. The substance of these alleged violations is in no way connected to his tenure at La Salle University.
“La Salle Athletics is committed to promoting an environment of compliance to the highest standard of ethical conduct within its department.”
Johnson spent three seasons at Louisville, and was widely considered to be one of the best recruiters in the country. He was placed on administrative leave and later fired in 2017, along with then-Louisville coach Rick Pitino, athletic director Tom Jurich and fellow assistant Jordan Fair after the federal investigation found an arrangement between the school and Adidas to pay players to play for Louisville under Pitino.
Both Fair and Johnson allegedly provided improper benefits to recruits, or someone associated with a recruit, among other violations.
Pitino, now coaching at Iona after a stint in Greece, has long denied these allegations. The 67-year-old was hit with a Level II allegation in the official notice last week for failing to satisfy head coach responsibility and “promote an atmosphere of compliance.”
Louisville was also assessed a Level I allegation — the most serious the NCAA can hand down — for an improper recruiting offer related to current Indiana Pacers player Brian Bowen.
La Salle compiled a 25-36 record over Johnson’s two seasons with the program under head coach Ashley Howard. It finished in the bottom half of the Atlantic 10 conference standings each year, too.
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