The New Orleans Times-Picayune said Wednesday the 51-year-old Johnson's hiring will be announced at a news conference on Thursday. Neither school has commented.

In four years at the Pacific-10 school, Johnson compiled an overall record of 80-48 and his teams played in the NCAA Tournament three times.

This past season, the Cardinal went 28-8, (13-5 Pac 10) and advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing 82-62 to Texas at the South Regional semifinal March 28.

He took the Stanford job after a five-year tenure at Nevada-Reno, where the Wolf Pack went 159-122 and went to the Sweet 16 in 2004.

At Stanford, Johnson succeeded Mike Montgomery. At LSU he will replace the fired John Brady.

Johnson will be the first African-American coach in any sport at the Southeastern Conference school.