Johnson girls basketball coach Brandon Lindsey steps down, gives reins to assistant Levett

Johnson girls basketball coach Brandon Lindsey, who built one of the most powerful programs in Georgia in his 12 seasons at the helm, has stepped down as the Atom Smashers coach.

Lindsey will continue in his role as the Johnson athletic director as assistant coach E'Lona Levett takes over the head coaching duties.

In his first three seasons leading the team, the Atom Smashers won a total of 19 games. But Lindsey's attention to detail and enthusiasm changed the narrative at Johnson. The Atom Smashers reached the state finals three years in a row starting in 2017 and Johnson won back-to-back Class 3A titles in '18 and '19.

"It was a tough decision to step away," said Lindsey, who said he told his team and school adminstrators in May. "But when you know it's time, you just know it's time. When COVID-19 first hit, I just didn't have the drive and the passion for the game, the same vigor, that I used to have. I wanted to hand it over to someone who matched the girls' intensity."

In 2016, the tide began to turn for the program and the Atom Smashers got a signature moment when junior Alexis Pierce buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key to beat Peach County and advance to the state Final Four for the first time.

In 2017, Johnson took the next step and reached the championship game, where the Atom Smashers lost to crosstown rival Beach.

Johnson broke through in 2018 to beat Greater Atlanta Christian and win its first state crown in Macon, and the Atom Smashers followed it up the next season by beating Hart County for another state championship. Johnson advanced to the Final Four in 2020, and the Atom Smashers reached the state quarterfinals last season.

Lindsey, 40, was named the Savannah Morning News Girls Basketball Coach of the Year three times.

"The hardest part about stepping down will be the disconnect that I will have with the young ladies I coached," Lindsey said. "I've built a lot of relationships as a coach, so it won't be the coaching aspect but just being around the players and the team. Johnson basketball has been my baby for the last 12 years, so it's going to be hard to just quit cold turkey.

"All the blood, sweat and tears that we've put in — the ups and downs — it's all been part of the recipe for success. But I think I'm making the right decision. I never wanted to be a head coach for 20 to 30 years," said Lindsey, a Savannah State graduate. "I wanted to turn over a talented team to a new coach and find a landing spot. I wanted to leave the program in a better place than when I started."

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Lindsey said turning over the reins of the program to Levett made the move easier.

Levett is a math teacher at Johnson who has been an Atom Smashers assistant for seven years.

"Coach Levett has a good rapport with the girls, they all respect her," Lindsey said. "She has developed excellent relationships and knows the ins and outs of exactly what's going on. She was always a calming influence on me as a coach. If I got too emotional, she showed me a different way to approach things."

Johnson will enter the season as one of the top-ranked teams in Class 3A with a lineup featuring two 6-foot seniors in Amani Hamilton — who was the Savannah Morning News Girls Basketball Player of the Year last season — and K'Lya Hankerson. Both were All-Greater Savannah first-team selections.

Girls Basketball Player of the Year:Amani Hamilton, Johnson

"It feels great to start my head coaching career in a situation like this with so many talented players. We'll be looking to make a run at a championship," Levett said. "I have to thank coach Lindsey for this opportunity because he saw the potential in me when I didn't."

Levett played high school basketball at Beach under highly-respected head coach Ronald Booker, now an assistant at SSU.

"I learned about discipline and structure playing for coach Booker," Levett said. "He required a lot out of his players. And coach Lindsey was the same way — he is very organized and pushes the players to be their best. I've always been his No. 2, and it's been a pleasure to work with him.

"I plan to take the talent we have this year, add some pieces and run with it," Levett said. "I'm going to develop the things I've learned as an assistant coach and try to put my own twist on it. I can't wait to get started."

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN