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.
Before John Wooden took over, Johns was the head basketball coach at UCLA, guiding the team from 1939 to 1948 and compiling a 93-120 record over nine seasons. Additionally, Johns held the position of athletic director at the university from 1947 to 1963.