Coach Steven Johnston grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, and enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at St. Luke’s School in New Canaan, CT. He later attended Fairfield University as a walk-on under Coach Sydney Johnson. Through hard work and perseverance, he earned a scholarship, ultimately becoming a starter and team captain during his senior year. After college, he played one season in Canada before deciding to pursue his passion for coaching and player development. During his college years, Steve founded No Days Off Training LLC, a player development company.
Steve’s coaching career began at his alma mater, St. Luke’s, where he served as head JV coach and assistant varsity coach. He later became an assistant coach for the post-graduate team at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, where he helped place athletes at the appropriate college level and recruited a team that saw eight players receive scholarships. In 2018, after attending the NCAA Final Four, Steve met one of his idols in the player development industry, DJ Sackmann. This meeting inspired him to pursue independent player development rather than follow the college coaching path.
Under the mentorship of DJ Sackmann, Steve had the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the field, including NBA/WNBA development coaches Drew Hanlen, Alex Bazzell, and Phil Beckner. His experiences have led him to assist in high-level workouts with players such as Carmelo Anthony, Trae Young, Tyler Herro, Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal, Tyrese Haliburton, Victor Oladipo, and more. Through these connections and his deep study of player development, Steve has helped numerous players, from youth to professional athletes, grow in their basketball journeys.
Steve’s mission is to provide the kind of mentorship and guidance he wished he had growing up, approaching basketball development holistically. He is excited to join the South Kent community and looks forward to helping athletes become the best basketball players—and individuals—they can be.