I had to look up the old bake sale story, due to Mr. Johnson’s tenure at Weber State.
Dave Arslanian was the coach at Weber from 1989-1997. At a time when the administration was threatening to drop football, Coach Arslanian held bake sales as fund raisers. I mean, hey, it’s Utah. This came under regular ridicule on Boise sports radio.
(Arslanian was a Weber player, made the playoffs in 1991, was said to be a Weber guy, but ended up taking the Utah State job)
Johnson arrived in Ogden in 1997, so it seems he didn’t initiate the bake sales, and the program didn’t die… though it didn’t really thrive, either. No playoffs in that time (was ranked 18th one season earlier in tenure). Basketball, Weber, you know.
Of course, anyone who has spent time in Pullman knows something about tough situations.