Landing Johnson would be 'steal' for Alabama, coach says

When Ben Jobe became head coach at Southern University in 1986, a 5-foot, 11-inch point guard from New Orleans walked into his office with a problem.

"The coach had left and he said he had been promised a scholarship, but he didn't have one," Jobe recalls. "A lot of schools had turned him down because he was too small."

That player was Avery Johnson. Nearly 30 years later, Jobe is still thankful Johnson walked through his office door. Southern won back-to-back SWAC tournament titles in 1987 and 1988 with the 'Little General" running the show on and off the court.

If Johnson winds up at Alabama, Jobe says the Crimson Tide "would be getting a steal." ESPN is reporting Johnson has made a verbal agreement to coach the Tide after reportedly meeting Saturday night with Alabama athletic director Bill Battle about the vacant head coaching position.

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When Johnson was coaching at Dallas, Jobe recalls Johnson babysitting for a player who wanted to take his wife to dinner for their anniversary.

"He just took the children home with him," Jobe said with a laugh.

Jobe couldn't remember the player's name, but said he played at Brigham Young. Travis Hansen and Rafael Paulo Araujo are the only players from BYU who were with the Mavs during Johnson's time there as head coach from 2004 to 2008.

"I said, 'son you're different,'" Jobe continued. "That's the best I could tell him. I don't know anybody doing anything like that. I said, 'I admire you, I love you, but you're different.' To him, it was just something he was supposed to do. He didn't even stop to think about it. He didn't stop to think about it. He kept the guy's children for two nights."

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WMack4Bama said:

Notes:

- Unless something crazy happens, Pettway is being retained. The remainder of the staff is being assembled as we speak

- Coach Johnson attended the same HS that our RB Coach Burton Burns coached at

- Coach Johnson has strong ties to the AAU scene in the Dallas, Houston, and New Orleans areas

- I look for Justin Coleman to be a star under Johnson

- I think this is a big enough splash hire to get Ingram back into the fold

- This hire will get NBA caliber talent to start to seriously consider Bama again.

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WMack4Bama said:

Similar in some ways..

Pettway's best attribute, to me, is his basketball IQ. I grew up playing against him with his dad coaching... So it's in his pedigree

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GreatDanish said:

Either way, I'm glad Pettway is staying. I do hope that at least one of the assistants is a seasoned veteran in the CBB world. Pettway should be good in maintaining connections to the state HSs, AAU circuit, alumni, and fans and helping AJ acclimate to Alabama basketball.

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WMack4Bama said:

Thank you Sir.

This is actually very exciting for me. At first glance, I was against the idea of it, but the more I think of it...man....this could REALLY work.

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