Fort Hays State University Men's Basketball

Johnson enters his 16th season as head coach of the Fort Hays State University mens basketball program in 2016-17. He is the all-time coaching wins leader in FHSU history with a career record of 304-138 in 15seasons, ranking among the top 20 active NCAA Division II mens basketball coaches in winning percentage (.688). Johnson has led the Tigers to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in his time at FHSU. Johnson became the all-time wins leader in Fort Hays State history on January 11, 2014 in a victory at home over Lincoln University, recording his 258th win. Johnson is just one of three coaches in Fort Hays State's storied basketball history to record more than 200 wins. He reached his 300th career win on February 13, 2016 in a victory at Missouri Southern. He has coached three All-Americans, 46 all-conference selections, a conference player of the year, a conference freshman of the year, and three conference defensive players of the year in his time at FHSU. Johnson has guided Fort Hays State to nine 20-win seasons, the most of any coach in the program's history. The Tigers reached the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in his tenure in 2015-16, finishing 20-11 overall. In 2013-14, Johnson guided the Tigers to a record of 22-8 overall and their sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in his tenure. The Tigers were ranked as high as No. 15 nationally in 2013-14. Fort Hays State finished 20-8 in 2012-13 and claimed its first MIAA Regular Season Championship since joining the conference in 2006-07, tying Central Missouri for the conference crown. A 19-9 record in 2011-12 marked the fifth-straight year that the Tigers finished with at least 19 wins and have since ran the streak to seven straight years. The Tigers reached the Top 10 of the Division II national rankings for the third consecutive year with No. 8 as their highest ranking in 2011-12. FHSU set a new school record for most consecutive weeks in the national rankings, which ended at 36 consecutive weeks, dating back to 2009-10. In 2010-11, Johnson guided his team to the MIAA Tournament Championship and second consecutive second-place finish in conference regular season play with an overall mark of 26-7. It was the first MIAA Championship in any sport for Fort Hays State University after joining the conference in 2006-07. The Tigers went on to make their second straight appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament and third in a run of four years. They advanced to the semifinals of the South Central Regional for the second consecutive year, making it the third time one of Johnsons teams made the regional semifinal. Fort Hays State was one of just eight teams in NCAA Division II to remain in every weekly top 25 regular season poll, reaching as high as No. 3 in the nation with a 13-1 start to the season. In 2009-10, FHSU posted a record of 23-7 and recorded their best record in the MIAA to date with a mark of 16-4, good for second place. FHSU reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional. With a 17-1 start to the season, the Tigers ascended all the way to No. 3 in the national rankings by mid-season. The Tigers entered the national rankings in early December and remained in the polls the remainder of the season. In 2008-09, Fort Hays State finished 20-9 overall and third in the MIAA standings, beginning a three-year run of at least 20 wins in a season. In 2007-08, the Tigers made their third NCAA Division II National Tournament appearance under Johnson, finishing 19-11 overall. The best season for Fort Hays State under Johnson was in 2005-06, its final season as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The team finished 27-4 overall, won the regular season conference title with an 18-1 record, and reached the NCAA Division II North Central Regional semifinals. The Tigers were ranked No. 1 in the nation for two weeks during 2005-06. Johnson was named RMAC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. He also coached the RMAC Player of the Year, Tyrone Shephard. The first FHSU team Johnson guided to the NCAA Tournament was the 2002-03 squad. The Tigers posted a record of 23-8 that season, tying the third-most wins for any of Johnsons teams at FHSU. Johnsons teams have made conference post-season tournament appearances in all 15 years he has led the Tigers, with five in the RMAC and 10 in the MIAA. Prior to being named the head coach, Johnson served as the Tigers assistant coach from 1996 until the 2001-02 season. He served as the Tigers interim coach following Gary Garners departure to Southeast Missouri State University prior to the start of the 1997-98 season. Before coming to FHSU, Johnson was the assistant coach at Phillips University, Enid, Okla. He coached the 1994-95 season at Labette Community College under Rand Chappell and then moved along with Chappell to Phillips University. Following his playing career at Pittsburg State University he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Pittsburg State. Following a senior season that garnered him All-America, All-State, All-Metro and All-Conference honors at Omaha Millard South High School, he played basketball at Kilgore Junior College, Kilgore, Texas. His sophomore year he was selected to the Texas Eastern Athletic Conference Academic Team. After Kilgore, Johnson played two years at Pittsburg State University where he earned Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association honors twice and All-South Region honors as a senior. A native of Omaha, Neb., Johnson received his associates degree from Kilgore Junior College in 1991, bachelors degree from Pittsburg State in 1993, and a masters degree from Pittsburg State in 1994.  He and his wife, Kenda (Pruter) of Natoma, Kan., have three children, daughters Carly and Sylvia, and son Truman.  

Brown enters his 11th season as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator of the Fort Hays State mens basketball program in 2016-17. He is in his 17th year in NCAA Division II and 15th overall at FHSU after serving as a graduate assistant coach from 2001-2003 and student assistant from 1998-2000. Prior to returning to FHSU as assistant coach, Brown was the assistant coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Okla., from 2004-2006. He helped coach the team to a top-25 ranking two years in a row and its only NCAA Tournament appearance in history in 2004-05. In 13 years as an assistant coach, Brown has helped guide six teams to the NCAA Tournament (five at FHSU and one at SWOSU). He has been part of eight teams in 12 years that have won at least 20 games. Three of the teams he has been a part of have reached a top three ranking in the national poll and six of the teams have reached the top 25. In 2011, Brown helped Fort Hays State claim its first-ever MIAA Tournament Championship, then in 2013, helped guide FHSU to its first MIAA Regular Season Championship. As an assistant coach at FHSU and SWOSU, he has recruited two All-Americans, four all-region selections, and numerous all-conference players. Currently, Browns duties include recruiting, preseason-posteason workouts, scouting, and organizing travel plans and the Mark Johnson Basketball Camps. A native of Mulvane, Kan., Brown played two years of basketball at Friends University in Wichita, Kan., from 1996-1998. He earned a bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Fort Hays State University in 2001 and a masters degree in Sports Administration in 2003. He and his wife Nikki reside in Hays.