Johnson stated that he was flattered to have been considered for the position. "Although the Nuggets never offered me the job, the longer the process took, the easier it was for me to make the decision to remain with the Jazz," Johnson said. "I was never sure that I would leave, even if the offer would have been extended to me. It would have taken a lot for me to leave a situation I feel very good about. Everyone in the Jazz organization, including Larry Miller, Jerry Sloan, Dennis Haslam, and Kevin O'Connor, has been supportive and they encouraged me to do what I felt was best. I work for one of the best organizations in the NBA and I have the best job in the league," Johnson added.

A former NBA Coach of the Year with the Kansas City/Omaha Kings (1974-1975), Johnson has served as an NBA head coach on two different occasions; 1973-1978 with Kansas City and 1985-1987 with Sacramento. Johnson originally joined the Jazz in 1982 as an assistant to then-Head Coach Frank Layden, serving in this capacity until 1984 when he accepted the head coaching job with Sacramento. Johnson returned to the Jazz in December of 1988 and has served as Jerry Sloan's top assistant since that time. During Johnson's tenure, the Jazz have reached the NBA Finals on two different occasions (1997 and 1998), won five Midwest Division Championships and have won over 60 percent of their games during that time.

Johnson began his coaching career as an assistant at Weber State (Ogden, Utah) in 1963, then assumed the head coaching duties at Weber State, where he led the Wildcats to a 68-15 record, three Big Sky Championships and three consecutive NCAA Tournament bids. Johnson's working relationship with Jerry Sloan goes back almost three decades, beginning when he coached Sloan as an assistant to Dick Motta with the Chicago Bulls from 1971-1974.

A native of Grace, Idaho, Johnson lettered in both track and basketball at Utah State University (Logan, Utah) and earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from the school. In 1992 he was inducted into the Weber State Hall of Fame and in 1997 he was named Utah State's Alumnus of the Year.