Coaching Experience:
Greensboro Day School: Head Varsity Coach: 1977-present
Assistant Varsity Coach: 1976-77
Playing Experience:
Greensboro College: 1972-74
Personal Bio:
Freddy Johnson, a Greensboro native, has spent his entire coaching career at Greensboro Day School. Graduating from Grimsley High School in 1972 and Greensboro College in 1977, he furthered his education with a Master’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University in 1984. Johnson played basketball on the collegiate level for two years at Greensboro College, where he realized he wanted to coach basketball, gaining valuable experience for his life’s work coaching YMCA basketball teams.
Just out of Greensboro College, Johnson began volunteering with the Greensboro Day School basketball squad, and he was soon appointed Head Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach at the relatively young independent school. One year later, he also became the Athletic Director. During his 44 years at GDS, the athletic program has grown to include over forty teams and 85% middle and upper school student participation. There have also been over 150 conference and 45 state championship teams during his tenure.
At GDS, Johnson has compiled an overall record of 1,104-306 (prior to the start of the 21-22 year), a winning percentage of 78.3%, and is the winningest coach in North Carolina high school basketball history. He has coached teams to a record 11 state championships in the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA) and was a finalist 8 other times. His teams have won 28 conference championships and Johnson has been the Conference Coach of the Year 24 times. He has led the Bengals to a record 17 tournament championships at the HAECO Invitational, a premier tournament showcasing local high school teams in Guilford County, NC. He was the USA Today North Carolina Coach of the Year in 2015. He was named the 2017 National Coach of the Year by BallisLife. He has led 2 Bengal teams to the GEICO (formerly known as the Dick’s Sporting Goods) National High School Tournament (’15, ’17).
In February of 2020, Coach Johnson was recognized by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with the Morgan Wootten Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball. In April 2020, Coach Johnson was recognized by MaxPreps as one of the Top 100 High School Coaches in the country across all sports. On February 1st, 2021, he won his 1,100th career game becoming only the 8th high school boys’ basketball coach to reach this milestone victory.
Johnson’s success at GDS has led to his selection as coach in seven all-star games, including the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic, the 2013 McDonald’s All-American Game in Chicago and the 1997 Capital Classic All-Star Game in Washington, DC.
He has been enshrined into the NC Gaters Hall of Fame (2006), Greensboro College Athletic Hall of Fame (2009) and Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame (2011), as well as being awarded the Charles N. Carter NCISAA Athletic Director Cup (2015) and the Greensboro College Alumni Excellence Award (2008) and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (2016).
A former player recently wrote, “The impact that you (Freddy Johnson) have had on my life and many other young men looms large. I wanted to let you know that your influence affected the direction of my life -- in a very positive fashion. I think what I value most about our time together was that I was able to apply the principles that I learned from you in life itself, outside of athletics. I didn't realize it at the time, but the hard work and teamwork you instilled in me would be something I would be able to use later in many life situations.” Coach Johnson transcends basketball; he teaches not only the game but also life skills. His success in molding young men’s lives for some four decades is the major building block in Greensboro Day School’s basketball foundation.
Freddy Johnson and his wife, Mary Marr Dillard Johnson, have two children: Robert Johnson (McKinley) and Katherine Johnson Willingham (Davis); and two grandsons, Cross and Worth Johnson.
By the Numbers:
Athletic Director and Varsity Men’s Basketball Head Coach
Athletic Director since 1978
Men’s Basketball Coach since 1977
- Career Record: 1,104-306 (78.3%)
- Holds the record for the most wins of any North Carolina Public or Private High School basketball coach. Broke Harvey Reid’s record of 818 on January 7, 2012; winning his 819th game against Providence Day by a score of 87 to 47. Won his 1,000th game on November 25, 2017 against Vance HS by a score of 59-28.
- On February 1, 2021, he won his 1,100th career game becoming only the 8th high school boys’ basketball coach to reach this milestone victory.
- 11 State Championships: North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA)
- 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Holds the record for the boys basketball coach with the most State Championships (public or private)
- 19 appearances as a State Finalist in the NCISAA
- 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
- 28 Conference Championships:
- Piedmont Athletic Conference of Independent Schools (PACIS)
- 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017
- Piedmont Triad Athletic Conference
- 17 HAECO Invitational Tournament Titles
- 1987, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
- Holds the record for the Coach with the most HAECO Invitational Tournament Titles
- 24 Conference Coach of the Year of Awards
- 22 PACIS Coach of the Year Awards
- 2 PTAC Coach of the Year Award
- 2015 USA Today Coach of the Year in North Carolina
- 2016-17 BallisLife National Coach of the Year
- 2020 Morgan Wootten Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball
- 2020 MaxPreps Top 100 High School Coaches
- MaxPreps Most Dominant Program of Decade in NC (2010-2020)
- Coached 8 All-Star Games
- 2019 Josh Level Classic; Greensboro, NC
- 2017 Jordan Brand Classic All American Game, West Team Coach; Brooklyn, NY
- 2015 North Carolina Private School All-Star Game, East Team Coach; Charlotte, NC
- 2013 McDonald’s All American Game, East Team Coach; Chicago, IL
- 2012 Jordan Brand Regional Game, West Team Coach; Charlotte, NC
- 2005 All-Star Classic, East Team Coach; Charlotte, NC
- 2000 North/South All-Star Classic, North Team Coach; Winston-Salem, NC
- 1997 Capital Classic All-Star Game, U.S. All-Stars Coach; Washington, DC
HALL OF FAMES
- North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, inducted May 2016
- Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame, inducted September 2011
- Greensboro College Athletics Hall of Fame, inducted April 2009
- North Carolina Gaters AAU Hall of Fame, inducted October 2006
OTHER COACHING
- NC Gaters AAU Founder and Coach
- 1996 - 2nd in the country in the 10-U National AAU Tournament
- 1999 - 4th in the country in the 12-U National AAU Tournament
- 2001 – 9th in the country in the 14-U National AAU Tournament
- GDS Girls Tennis Head Coach
- 2 NCISAA State Championships
