St. Augustine basketball coach Mitchell Johnson takes leave of absence

St. Augustine High School President and CEO Dr. Kenneth St. Charles announced Wednesday morning that Head Basketball Coach Mitchell Johnson is taking an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons. Assistant Basketball Coach Deion Taylor will provide leadership to the program in Coach Johnson’s absence.

“Coach Johnson requested a leave of absence and is attending to personal matters that require him to be away from his coaching and teaching responsibilities,” said St. Charles. “We wish Coach Johnson and his family the best during this time.”

“Coach Taylor will carry on the principles that Coach Johnson has instilled in our program to ensure the team maintains its standard of achievement both on and off the court,” St. Charles added.

Johnson, in his seventh season as head coach is a 1995 graduate of St. Augustine. He has led the team to a 17-1 overall start. Johnson has had great success in his years as head coach with the Purple Knights earning a second-place finish at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) Basketball Championship in 2019 and a third-place finish in 2018.

The Purple Knights play at home on Friday against Archbishop Shaw at 7 p.m.