Tonya Johnson facts for kids

Tonya Doral Johnson (born September 1, 1969) is a well-known American volleyball coach and a former player. She currently leads the LSU women's volleyball team as their head coach, a role she has held since 2022.

Early Life and High School Sports

Tonya Johnson was born on September 1, 1969, in Zachary, Louisiana. Growing up, she was a talented athlete. At Zachary High School, she played both volleyball and basketball. Eventually, she decided to focus her athletic efforts on volleyball.

Playing Career at LSU

Johnson played college volleyball for the LSU team from 1987 to 1990. During her time as a player, she helped the Tigers achieve great success.

• In 1989 and 1990, her team won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles.
• She also helped LSU reach the "Sweet 16" in the 1989 NCAA tournament.
• In 1990, LSU made its first-ever "Final Four" appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Coaching Journey Begins

Tonya Johnson started her college coaching career in 1995. Her first job was as an assistant coach at Kentucky. She worked under head coach Fran Flory there.

Returning to LSU as Assistant

In 1998, Johnson returned to her old school, LSU. She joined Fran Flory again as an assistant coach for the LSU women's volleyball team. She stayed at LSU until 2003.

Moving to Texas

After her time at LSU, Johnson moved to Texas in 2003. She became an assistant head coach there, working with head coach Jerritt Elliott.

First Head Coach Role at Georgia Tech

In 2009, Tonya Johnson got her first chance to be a head coach at a college. She took on the role at Georgia Tech.

• During her time at Georgia Tech (2009-2013), her team had an overall record of 85 wins and 72 losses.
• In 2009, she led Georgia Tech to an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
• In 2012, she also served as a co-head coach for the USA volleyball's A2 team, which won a silver medal.

Back to Texas as Associate Head Coach

After leaving Georgia Tech, Johnson returned to Texas in 2014. This time, she was the associate head coach and the main person in charge of finding new players (recruiting coordinator). She stayed at Texas until the end of 2021.

• During her years at Texas, the team reached the NCAA Final Four multiple times.
• They also won several Big 12 championships.
• Johnson is known for being excellent at recruiting. She helped Texas get some of the best new players in the country. For example, from 2006 to 2008, Texas had the nation's second-best recruiting classes for three years in a row.
• The 2009 recruiting class was also very strong, with top players like Bailey Webster and Sha’Dare McNeal joining the team.

Leading LSU as Head Coach

In 2022, Tonya Johnson returned to LSU once more, this time as the head coach. This happened after Fran Flory, the previous coach, announced her retirement. Johnson shared that she was offered the job right after her interview.

• In her first season (2022) at LSU, she led the team to a winning record. This was the program's first winning season since 2019.
• She also guided LSU to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017.
• Her team advanced to the second round of the tournament, beating HawaiʻI before losing to Stanford.

Coaching Records Overview

Tonya Johnson has a strong record as a head coach.

• At Georgia Tech (2009–2013), her overall record was 85 wins and 72 losses.
• At LSU (2022–present), her current overall record is 41 wins and 43 losses.
• Her total career record as a head coach is 131 wins and 115 losses.