12 Ellis Johnson

Ellis Johnson was born August 7, 1910, and became one of the finest all-around athletes produced by Ashland High School. He starred in football, basketball, baseball, and track and led Ashland to four consecutive appearances in the Kentucky state basketball tournament from 1926 through 1929. The run was highlighted by the 1928 state championship, and Johnson also played on a team recognized as a national high school champion.

At Kentucky, Johnson earned letters in basketball and football while also competing in baseball and track. As a freshman representative on the university’s athletics council, he participated in the process that brought Adolph Rupp to Lexington in 1930. Johnson then scored the first points by a Kentucky player in the Rupp era and became the starting guard on the new coach’s 15-3 debut team. More valued for his defense, playmaking, and intelligent floor leadership than his scoring, he became a favorite of Kentucky fans.

Johnson helped the Wildcats finish 21-3 and capture the program’s first SEC Tournament championship during his senior season in 1932-33. His exceptional tournament play earned him all-tournament recognition, and he completed the season as a Helms Foundation All-American—Rupp’s first All-America player at Kentucky. He appeared in 49 games and scored 161 points during his Wildcats career, including a career-high 14 against Chattanooga.

Johnson later built an equally distinguished coaching career. He coached basketball, football, baseball, and track at Morehead State, served as the school’s athletics director, and led the Eagles to the 1953 NCAA Tournament before later coaching basketball at Marshall. Morehead State named its basketball arena in his honor, and his legacy has been recognized by the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, Morehead State Hall of Fame, Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame, Ashland Hall of Fame, and Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame.