Denton Johnson knows precisely what the basketball scene in north Alabama is about.

It isn’t just the quality of basketball that matters, but also how much emphasis the area places on supporting its programs.

“Having grown up there, I can tell that’s what Huntsville is like,” he said. “When I say Huntsville it stretches to Madison, Decatur, Morgan County, Guntersville, Albertville, Arab, all the mountain schools to Plainview.

“It’s so much more important and it’s unique.”

Now, the Scottsboro native is coming back north.

Johnson will take over as the next girls basketball coach at Decatur High School, officially approved at a Decatur City School District board meeting Tuesday night.

He takes over the Red Raiders’ program after leading the boys basketball program at Ramsay for nine seasons.

“I’m ecstatic and I’m gonna tell you this: we’re going to build a big-time program,” Johnson said of taking over Decatur’s program. “It’s exciting.”

Johnson’s tenure leading Ramsay’s boys saw him compile a 209-90 record, leading the Rams to five appearances in the AHSAA state semifinals and back-to-back appearances in a state championship game in 2021 and 2022.

He also helped lead Ramsay to seven straight area titles in his final seven seasons with the program.

Last season saw Ramsay finish 26-8 and ranked No. 1 in the final regular-season ASWA rankings; the Rams fell to Hayden in the Northeast Regional semifinals.

When asked about the fit at Decatur, Johnson said the program checked all the boxes and made for a great fit: he noted resources, returning players and those he’d be working with, along with moving closer to family that lives in Huntsville.

“All that’s important to me because you move your whole family up there,” he said. “Then you go to resources, to facilities, to athletes: they fit the style of play I do.”

The Class 6A program brings back plenty of athletes, including team MVP Jenny Mitchell who eclipsed 1,000 points as a junior and averaged 14.7 points for the Red Raiders.

Decatur also has four players coming up who play in the Nike circuits of AAU basketball, which excites Johnson in bringing his style of play to the program.

“My style is going to be fun to watch and fun to play in,” he said. “Really up-tempo: people say that, but it’s really up-tempo. I think you’re going to have to, with the athletes you have there, to make it different, make them do more if they’re able to do it.”

Decatur plays in a tough Class 6A, Area 15 alongside Athens, Hartselle and Muscle Shoals, with Johnson noting how the administration was pushing to find a great fit to bring the program back to where it once was.

The Red Raiders last won a state title in the 1999-2000 season and advanced to the state semifinals the year after under longtime coach Mike Smith; the program’s last area title came in the 2016-17 season.

Johnson expressed plenty of gratitude and excitement for working with fellow coaches in Decatur, which also includes boys basketball coach Ben Mastin and football coach John Ritter.

“They already went out and got a good football coach, Ben is their boys coach, up and coming, really good coach, so on and so forth, because you want it to be in a good situation,” Johnson said. “In north Alabama, as you know, basketball is different up there. You will look at some of their girls games packed out, you just don’t see that a lot around the world.”