YOUNG HARRIS, Ga| Young Harris College Head Men's Basketball Head Coach Jeremy Currier has announced the hiring of Jelani Johnson as the newest member of the Young Harris men's basketball coaching staff. 

A native of Aurora, IL, Johnson joins Young Harris after spending the past four seasons at Newberry College. He served as an assistant coach under Jason Taylor from 2022-24 before being promoted to Associate Head Coach under Marcus Kirkland from 2024-26. During his time with the Wolves, Johnson played an integral role in player development, recruiting, academic success, and community engagement. 

"I'm blessed and excited for the opportunity to join the Young Harris Men's Basketball program as an assistant coach! I want to sincerely thank Coach Currier for trusting me with the chance to be part of a program built on hard work, discipline, and a commitment to excellence," said Johnson. "Developing student-athletes both on and off the court is what drives me, and I couldn't ask for a better place than Young Harris to make that impact. I'm grateful to Coach Currier and everyone in the program for the warm welcome into the Mountain Lion family. I can't wait to get to work, Go Mountain Lions!" 

Johnson helped develop Drake Downs, a 2025-26 First Team All-Conference selection, and Quandaveon McCollum, who earned 2022-23 NABC All-District Southeast Second Team honors. During the 2022-23 season, Johnson also helped Newberry lead all of NCAA Division II in offensive rebounds per game. 

Beyond the court, he helped build a culture centered on academics and servant leadership. He assisted in raising the team's cumulative GPA to 3.2, received the 2024 Newberry County Community Service Award, and helped the Wolves earn the 2026 Community Service Award for recording the most volunteer hours. 

Johnson's basketball journey began as a collegiate player at NCAA Division I Western Illinois before transferring to Bellarmine University. At Bellarmine, he helped lead the Knights to appearances in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight and Final Four before beginning a professional career overseas in Australia (SEABL and Big V), Mexico (Guadalajara), and France (Poligny). Prior to entering the college ranks, Johnson also coached extensively at the high school and AAU levels throughout the Chicagoland area. 

"We're thrilled to welcome Jelani to Young Harris," said Young Harris Men's Basketball Head Coach Jeremy Currier. "He is a high-character coach who brings tremendous energy, a strong work ethic, and a passion for developing student-athletes both on and off the court. His experience in recruiting, player development, academics, and community engagement aligns perfectly with the culture we're building. Jelani is a relentless worker, an outstanding relationship builder, and someone who will make an immediate impact on our program. We couldn't be more excited to have him join our staff." 

Johnson joins a Young Harris program coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history. The Mountain Lions captured the Conference Carolinas Championship, earned the program's first NCAA Tournament victory, and featured both the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year and Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year. With Johnson's addition, Young Harris continues to build on that momentum by assembling a championship-caliber staff committed to recruiting outstanding student-athletes, developing elite players, and competing for conference championships and deep NCAA Tournament runs for years to come.