| Prince George's Community College went 17-14 under Brian Johnson last season. Prince George's Community College athletics photo |
Southern Vermont College liked its last hire from Maryland so much that the Mountaineers went back to the Old Line State for his replacement. Brian Johnson, who was the head coach at Prince George's Community College, will follow Dan Engelstad as Southern Vermont's head men's basketball coach.
"SVC checked off a lot of boxes," Johnson said in the College's release about what attracted him to Bennington, Vermont. "The opportunity to build upon a strong tradition is very attractive. My wife and I believe that there are certain things about this program, the past student-athletes' and coach's successes, fan base, and community support that make SVC a special place."
Johnson replaces Dan Engelstad who turned the Mountaineers from doormat to dominant force in the NECC. Engelstad took over after the Mountaineers went 1-24 in 2012-13 and led them to a 16-10 record in his first season. Southern Vermont went 25-4, 16-0 in the NECC in 2014-15 and won its first round game in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
Three more NECC titles followed in 2016, 2017 and 2018, giving Engelstad a 103-34 record in five seasons. In May he returned to Mount St. Mary's, where he previously served as an assistant coach, to become the Mounties' head coach.
Johnson also has roots in Maryland. He spent the last two seasons as the head coach at Prince George's Community College in Largo, Md. and the previous three as an assistant at Division I University of Maryland, Baltimore County. A Baltimore native, Johnson played at Division I Delaware and began his coaching career at Division II Goldey-Beacom.
Southern Vermont went 22-6, 12-2 in the NECC in 2017-18.