Momentum to Mayhem? Kenny Johnson's Move to Indiana Throws a Wrench in Georgetown's Offseason
The Hoyas face unexpected uncertainty with a key assistant gone and local recruiting relationships in flux.
If Georgetown fans thought this offseason was going to go smoothly, reality came knocking yesterday.
Georgetown assistant coach Kenny Johnson, who just completed his first year on the Hoyas’ bench after replacing Ivan Thomas, is headed back to Indiana University—where he previously coached from 2012 to 2014—to join new head coach Darian DeVries’ staff.
The move puts Georgetown in a precarious position as it moves forward with its offseason plans. Johnson, who was teasing Georgetown-related roster news on Instagram just a week ago, had become a critical part of the Hoyas’ recruiting operation.
Johnson was the mutual connection that helped rekindle the relationship between Georgetown and Team Takeover. Johnson’s arrival played a major role in thawing years of tension between the two programs.
Georgetown currently has four Team Takeover alumni on next season’s roster: Malik Mack, Caleb Williams, Isaiah Abraham, and DeShawn Harris-Smith. Johnson’s departure will immediately lead to questions about whether any of those players will follow him out the door too.
Mack, in particular, is a player who Johnson has been tight with for years. Johnson played a big role in getting Mack to Georgetown last offseason. It’s not uncommon for players to leave when the assistant who recruited them moves on.
The lack of available talent at the point guard position in the transfer portal would put Georgetown in a difficult spot if they had to find a replacement for Mack now.
Complicating the Mack situation, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation, is the fact that Mack and Georgetown recently re-negotiated his NIL deal to keep him at Georgetown for a second season. How he decides to proceed in the coming days is not certain.
As for Harris-Smith, the surprise return of rising sophomore guard Kayvaun Mulready—who had announced his transfer from Georgetown just four days earlier—could signal movement.
There is also the question of how Johnson leaving affects Georgetown’s relationships with high school prospects that he has been the lead on—namely, Jordan Smith Jr. from Paul VI.
“It’s not dead,” one source familiar with Smith Jr.’s recruitment said about how Johnson leaving Georgetown could affect their chances with Smith Jr. “But it took a hit.”
Of course, Johnson’s exit gives Georgetown an opening on its staff—and an opportunity to kickstart new relationships with players and continue pre-existing ones.
Jason Williford, former associate head coach at the University of Virginia under Tony Bennett, quickly emerged as the frontrunner for the position on Friday afternoon.
Williford has drawn rave reviews from DMV recruiting insiders and local coaches alike—for his deep network in the region and his reputation as a high-character leader.
Williford was also the lead recruiter at UVA for players that Georgetown already has an eye on, like Smith Jr., Qayden Samuels, and Latrell Allmond, who stars at Williford’s high school alma mater, John Marshall High School.
As for Kenny Johnson, the Oxon Hill, Maryland native’s decision to leave home again after just one year on the Hilltop raised some eyebrows.
According to one source, Johnson had been eyeing an exit from Georgetown after the season had ended. Johnson had even expressed interest in joining the new coaching staff at the University of Maryland, under incoming head coach Buzz Williams. Johnson’s pursuit of that job ultimately went nowhere.
There’s no doubt Johnson played a major role in re-establishing Georgetown’s footing in the DMV—especially with Team Takeover. His departure is a setback to what had otherwise been a successful offseason for the Hoyas so far.
Now the onus falls on Cooley and his staff—likely with Williford in the fold—to keep the momentum going.
Specifically, how close Takeover and Georgetown remain with Johnson gone will bear watching.
On the flip side, Johnson’s departure could reopen doors with Team Durant, another major DMV AAU power.
Last offseason, multiple local coaches told Hilltop Hoops that Wayne Pratt, director of Team Durant, made clear to Ed Cooley that he wouldn’t be sending players Georgetown’s way if Johnson was hired to the staff.
With Johnson gone, and Williford likely to replace him, there is an opportunity to repair things with Pratt and Team Durant in the future.
If Williford steps in, Georgetown has a shot to maintain its local recruiting traction. But in the short term, all eyes will be on whether any current players bolt—and whether five-star targets like Smith Jr. still see Georgetown as a viable destination with Johnson no longer there.