ICC men's and women's tennis coach Paul Johnson was among 15 honorees as the state's community colleges recognized their fourth Sports Hall of Fame class.

The Nettleton native started his coaching career as a football coach at Ackerman High School (69-71) and Houston High School (72). In 1973, he became an assistant football and men's tennis coach at Itawamba Junior College. He has led the ICC men's team to 13 national tournaments, including this year's national tournament in Plano, Texas. His men have either won or shared six state championships and four Region 23 titles earning Johnson six MACJC Men's Coach Tennis of the Year honors.

His women's teams have finished runners-up in state and regional five times, including this season's second place finish in Tupelo. They have qualified for five trips to the national tennis tournament. The Lady Indians captured the State and Region 23 championship in 2007, after sharing both titles with Meridian in 2006.

Johnson won MACJC football state championships in 1976 and 1978.

"I've seen a lot of the coaches in football and tennis that have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame so it 's a real honor for me to be part of that group that I 've watched for so many years," said Johnson.

Coach Johnson was inducted into the NJCAA Men 's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2008 he received the prestigious Herschel Stephens Award, an annual national coaching award for outstanding service and dedication to NJCAA tennis selected by the NJCAA Tennis Coaches Association.

He is married to the former Brenda Hill of Okolona, and they have two children, Leigh Craft of Atlanta, GA and Mitch of Booneville.

Joining Johnson and headlining the 2010 Hall of Fame class was LSU women 's head basketball coach Van Chancellor