He was the head basketball coach at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), prior to John Wooden, serving from 1939 to 1948, and guiding the UCLA Bruins to a 93–120 record in nine seasons. Johns was also the school's athletic director following from 1947 to 1963.
He was the top basketball coach at UCLA before John Wooden, leading the Bruins to a 93–120 record in nine seasons from 1939 to 1948. Following that, Johns became the school's athletic director from 1947 to 1963.