{{short description|South African soccer coach (born 1958)}} {{Use South African English|date=September 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Cavin Johnson | image = | fullname = Cavin Dennis Johnson<ref name="PSL"/> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1958|11|11}} | birth_place = Johannesburg, South Africa | death_date = | height = | position = | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = | clubs1 = | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = | clubs2 = | caps2 = | goals2 = | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | manageryears1 = 2012–2013 | managerclubs1 = Platinum Stars | manageryears2 = 2013–2014 | managerclubs2 = SuperSport United | manageryears3 = 2015–2017 | managerclubs3 = Platinum Stars | manageryears4 = 2017–2019 | managerclubs4 = AmaZulu | manageryears5 = 2019–2020 | managerclubs5 = Black Leopards | manageryears6 = 2023–2024 | managerclubs6 = Kaizer Chiefs }}
'''Cavin Dennis Johnson''' (born 11 November 1958)<ref name="PSL">Kickoff PSL Yearbook 2012/2013, p. 40</ref> is a South African soccer coach who most recently worked as an interim coach at Kaizer Chiefs in the DStv Premiership.
Johnson has previously managed South African clubs Platinum Stars (twice), SuperSport United, AmaZulu and Black Leopards in the Premier Soccer League.
== Coaching career == Johnson is one of many coaches that came under the tutelage of Ted Dumitru. Before accepting the head coaching role at Platinum Stars in 2012, Johnson mainly worked as youth and assistant coach for various clubs in South Africa among them assistant coach and later head of youth development at Ajax Cape Town, Mamelodi Sundowns and most recently Platinum Stars. In his first season as head coach he led Stars to a 2nd-place finish in the PSL and subsequently joined SuperSport United to replace the outgoing Gavin Hunt. Johnson managed SuperSport between 2013 and 2014 for 39 matches, achieving 1.36 points per game.
After being sacked by SuperSport he returned to Platinum Stars in March 2015,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2015/03/31/Cavin-Johnson-re-appointed-as-Platinum-Stars-coach1|title=Cavin Johnson re-appointed as Platinum Stars coach|last=LIVE|first=Times|website=Times LIVE|access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref> guiding the club to third place in the league in the 2015–16 season. After a ninth-placed finish in 2016–17, Johnson left Platinum Stars when the club decided not to renew his contract.<ref>{{cite news|title=Platinum Stars part ways with Johnson|url=http://www.espn.co.uk/football/platinum-stars/story/3138925/platinum-stars-part-ways-with-cavin-johnson|accessdate=11 July 2017|work=ESPN|date=5 June 2017}}</ref>
On 8 August 2017, he was appointed as the head coach of newly-promoted AmaZulu in the Premier Soccer League - succeeding Joey Antipas.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.kickoff.com/news/77883/amazulu-part-ways-with-joey-antipas-appoint-cavin-johnson-as-head-coach|title=AmaZulu part ways with Joey Antipas, appoint Cavin Johnson as head coach|last=www.realnet.co.uk|work=Kick Off|access-date=2 December 2017|language=en-gb}}</ref> He was fired by AmaZulu in August 2019, after a poor start to the Club's 2019/20 season, accumulating 2 points from 15 (first 5 games), and not having won a game since April 2019.
Following the resignation of Luc Eymael from Black Leopards on 27 December 2019,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://citizen.co.za/phakaaathi/south-africa-soccer-phakaaathi-phakaaathi/2222744/eymael-leaves-black-leopards/|title=Eymael leaves Black Leopards|first=Phakaaathi|last=Reporter}}</ref> Johnson was named as the new Black Leopards mentor on 29 December 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2019-12-29-black-leopards-hire-cavin-johnson-as-new-head-coach/|title=Black Leopards hire Cavin Johnson as new head coach|website=TimesLIVE}}</ref> On 27 January 2020, after being in charge of Leopards for only 5 matches, Johnson was suspended from his duties as head coach - this due to a string of poor performances (four losses and one draw). On 31 January 2020 it was announced that Johnson had officially parted ways with Black Leopards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news/articles/local/categories/south-africa/cavin-johnson-officially-available-for-third-club-this-season/672248|title=Cavin Johnson Officially Available For Third Club This Season|date=31 January 2020|website=Soccer Laduma}}</ref>
He holds a SAFA Level III Pro Licence, Dutch FA (KNVB) certificate, Brazil FA Advanced Course certificate and his preferred formation is 4-4-2.
In 1994, Johnson discovered Steven Pienaar and later brought him to the School of Excellence where Johnson worked as youth coach at the time. Both hail from Westbury in Johannesburg.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tlou|first1=Clyde|title=Emotional Pienaar thanks Cavin|url=https://www.supersport.com/football/news/140417/Emotional_Pienaar_thanks_Cavin|accessdate=11 July 2017|work=SuperSport|date=17 April 2014}}</ref>
In October 2020, he became an assistant coach to Pitso Mosimane at Egyptian club Al Ahly.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kingfut.com/2020/10/05/cavin-johnson-al-ahly-assistant-coach/ |title=OFFICIAL: Cavin Johnson joins Al Ahly as assistant coach |website=kingfut.com |date=5 October 2020}}</ref>
In October 2023, he was appointed interim coach of Kaizer Chiefs<ref>{{Cite web |title=Johnson thanks Kaizer Motaung while preparing for test against Golden Arrows |url=https://sportsbrief.com/football/51572-cavin-johnson-interim-kaizer-chiefs-coach-speaks-honour-leading-amakhosi/ |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=sportsbrief.com |language=en |archive-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026185533/https://sportsbrief.com/football/51572-cavin-johnson-interim-kaizer-chiefs-coach-speaks-honour-leading-amakhosi/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He left in July 2024 after leading Chiefs to tenth in the 2023–24 Premiership, their lowest ever finish in the PSL era.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/kaizer-chiefs-has-decided-to-let-go-of-cavin-johnson-who-served-as-an-interim-coach-last-season/ar-BB1pdOYV |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=www.msn.com}}</ref>
== Personal life == Johnson is married, with three children.
Johnson suffered a heart attack on 31 January 2020, spending two nights in hospital under observation.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/sport/soccer/2020-02-03-cavin-johnson-ok-after-heart-attack/ | title=Cavin Johnson 'OK' after heart attack|first=Bongani|last=Magasela|date=3 February 2020|publisher=Sowetan Live|accessdate=6 September 2020}}</ref>
==Honours== ===Club Honours=== * Premier Soccer League: ** Runner-up: 2012–13 (with Platinum Stars F.C.)
*The Msunduzi Cup: ** Winner: 2019 (with AmaZulu F.C.)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news/articles/local/categories/south-africa/the-msunduzi-cup-went-to-amazulu-this-weekend/659554|title=The Msunduzi Cup Went To AmaZulu This Weekend|date=21 July 2019|website=Soccer Laduma}}</ref>
* Kwa-Zulu Natal Premiers Cup: ** Winner: 2018 (with AmaZulu F.C.)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kickoff.com/news/articles/south-africa-news/categories/news/news/kwazulu-natal-premiers-cup-match-report-/591393|title=KwaZulu-Natal Premiers Cup match report AmaZulu v Richards Bay FC 29 July 2018|date=30 July 2018|website=Kick Off}}</ref>
===Personal Honours=== *South African Premier Division Coach of the Month: September/October 2015;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news/articles/categories/south-africa/cavin-johnson-is-the-psl-s-best-coach-for-the-month/220667|title=Cavin Johnson Is The PSL’s Best Coach For The Month|date=2 November 2015|website=Soccer Laduma}}</ref> November/December 2018<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/sport/soccer/psl/amazulu-double-as-johnson-tade-named-coach-and-player-of-the-month-18573643|title=AmaZulu 'double' as Johnson, Tade named Coach and Player of the Month|website=www.iol.co.za}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Kaizer Chiefs F.C. managers}} {{SuperSport United F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Cavin}} Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:South African soccer managers Category:Sportspeople from Johannesburg Category:Platinum Stars F.C. managers Category:SuperSport United F.C. managers Category:AmaZulu F.C. managers