University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

At the time of his induction, Mike Johnson ranked as the most accurate field goal and free throw shooter in UWEC history. After earning the title of Wisconsin’s “Mr. Basketball” at Phillips High School in 1987, Johnson attended Division I Creighton University his freshman year before transferring to UWEC. In just 2 1-2 seasons of competition as a Blugold, Johnson scored 1,225 points (13.8 ppg) and grabbed 704 rebounds (7.9 rpg). His career field goal percentage was .632 and his career free throw percentage was .866 (421 of 486). He also set the school single season and career records for free throws made (194 and 421). He had the top three marks for free throws made in a game without a miss at 13, 12 and 11. Johnson produced one of the best single season scoring marks in school history as he tallied 606 points at an 18.9 ppg clip his senior season when he served as team captain and was named the team MVP. The 6-7 center was a two-time All-Conference and NAIA All-District 14 player and earned NAIA All-America Second Team recognition in 1991 after receiving honorable mention in 1990. The Blugolds shared the conference championship his sophomore season and won an outright conference crown in 1991.  Playing three consecutive years in the 32-team NAIA Nationals in Kansas City with Johnson in the lineup, the Blugolds finished third in 1989, lost the national championship game in 1990 and advanced to the third round in 1991.

At the time of his induction, Johnson was the principal at Meyer Middle School in River Falls, a position he had held since 2006 after serving as the assistant high school principal there from 2003-06. He was also an adjunct professor at UW-River Falls in its Principal Licensure Program. After a brief professional basketball stint in Spain in 1992, he finished his student teaching at UWEC in 1993. From 1993-2002, he was an English teacher and coach in the Abbotsford, Fall Creek, Eau Claire, Rice Lake and Chippewa Falls school districts.  He led the Rice Lake boys team to the state tournament in 2002 when the team finished with a 20-5 record. His team won a conference championship and made a sectional final appearance in 1996 at Fall Creek when the Crickets finished 21-4. Johnson has served on several boards including the UWEC Alumni Association Board of Directors (2004-06), the St. Croix Valley Restorative Justice Board of Directors (2003-06) and the City of River Falls Youth Advisory Council Board of Directors (2003-05). At one time, he was one of 12 regionally-elected directors for the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators.