FERRUM, Va. -- Director of Athletics Cleive Adams has announced the hiring of James Johnson as Head Men's Basketball Coach at Ferrum College. Johnson comes to Ferrum after serving the past three years on the Virginia Tech athletic staff as Director of High School Relations for Football.

Johnson is a 1993 graduate of Ferrum and played four years for the Panthers under Coach Bill Pullen. He helped the Panthers win Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (now the USA South) regular-season and postseason tournament titles and earn Ferrum's only NCAA Tournament appearance in 1992. Johnson also helped Ferrum capture the Dixie Conference regular-season title in 1993.

After graduating in May 1993, Johnson remained at Ferrum and began his coaching career, He served two seasons as Pullen's assistant coach, helping the Panthers win the 1995 Dixie Conference regular season title.

Johnson served three years as Director of High School Relations for Football at Virginia Tech. Prior to that, he served as the Hokies' Head Men's Basketball Coach for two seasons from 2012-14 and spent five years as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach from 2007-12.

Johnson's résumé includes nine other stops as an assistant coach, including Longwood, Hargrave Military Academy, Old Dominion, Elon, College of Charleston, Penn State, George Mason, Miami and NC State. He was on staff at George Mason when the Patriots made an improbable run to the NCAA Final Four in 2006 under Head Coach Jim Larrañaga.

Johnson's Career Path

• 1993-95: Ferrum College (Assistant Coach)
• 1995-96: Longwood University (Assistant Coach)
• 1996-97: Hargrave Military Academy (Assistant Coach)
• 1997-00: Old Dominion University (Assistant Coach)
• 2000-02: Elon University (Assistant Coach)
• 2002-03: College of Charleston (Assistant Coach)
• 2003-05: Penn State University (Assistant Coach)
• 2005-07: George Mason University (Assistant Coach)
• 2007-12: Virginia Tech (Assistant Coach)
• 2012-14: Virginia Tech (Head Coach)
• 2015-17: University of Miami (Director of Basketball Operations)
• 2017-22: NC State University (Assistant Coach)
• 2023-26: Virginia Tech (Director of High School Relations for Football)

Johnson replaces Patrick Corrigan, who recently left Ferrum after four seasons to become Associate Head Men's Basketball Coach at University of West Florida. The Argonauts recently announced a transition from NCAA Division II to Division I, beginning in Fall 2026. Corrigan was 59-48 in his four seasons at the helm of the Ferrum men's basketball program. His teams were tough to beat at home, posting a 34-7 record at Swartz Gymnasium during Corrigan's final three seasons on the bench.