Aaron Johnston (basketball)

Aaron Johnston
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	South Dakota State
Conference	Summit League
Record	598–191 (.758)
Annual salary	$290,000
Biographical details
Born	August 28, 1974 (age 49); Pine Island, Minnesota
Alma mater	Gustavus Adolphus College ('96)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1996–1997	NDSCS (asst.)
1997–1999	South Dakota State (GA)
1999–2000	South Dakota State (asst.)
2000–present	South Dakota State
Head coaching record
Overall	598–191 (.758)
Tournaments	5–11 (NCAA Division I); 13–2 (NCAA Division II); 13–4 (WNIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
	WNIT Championship (2022); NCAA Division II Women's Championship (2003); 2x NCC regular season championships (2003, 2004); 10x Summit League regular season championships (2008, 2009, 2012–2014, 2019, 2021–2024); 10x Summit League conference tournament championships (2009–2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023);
Awards
	2003 Molten/Women’s Division II Bulletin Coach of the Year; 2x Independent League Coach of the Year (2006, 2007); 6x Summit League Coach of the Year (2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2021, 2022);

Last updated April 11, 2024

Aaron Johnston^[2] is an American basketball coach who has been the head women's basketball coach at South Dakota State University since 1999.^[3] Johnston has led the Jackrabbits to the NCAA Division II in 2003.

South Dakota State

Aaron Johnston started at South Dakota State working with the men's basketball team as a graduate assistant under then head coach Scott Nagy. He moved to the women's basketball team as an assistant coach under Nancy Neiber. During the 1999-2000 season, Neiber took a leave of absence and Johnston took over as interim for the final six games. During those six games, he went on to defeat the #2 ranked and eventual NCAA D-II Runner up; North Dakota State.

Johnston became head coach of the Jackrabbits on June 30, 2000, making him the seventh head coach in SDSU women's basketball era. In three of his first four years as head coach, he led South Dakota State to the Elite Eight three straight years, and won the NCAA D-II national championship over Northern Kentucky 65-50.

Since joining the Summit League in the 2007-08 season the Jackrabbits have made the postseason every year (11 NCAA, 4 WNIT).

He also coached one year for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's and women's golf team.^{[ citation needed ]}

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season	Coach	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
South Dakota State (NCC Division II ^[4])(1999–2004)
1999–2000	South Dakota State	4–2*	4–2*	4th
2000–01	South Dakota State	15–12	9–9	T—5th
2001–02	South Dakota State	28–9	12–6	T—2nd	NCAA D-II Elite Eight
2002–03	South Dakota State	32–3	14–2	T—1st	NCAA D-II Champs
2003–04	South Dakota State	26–7	11–3	T—1st	NCAA D-II Elite Eight
South Dakota State (NCAA Division I independent)(2004–2007)
2004–05	South Dakota State	21–7
2005–06	South Dakota State	19–9
2006–07	South Dakota State	25–6			WNIT Quarter-finals
South Dakota State (Summit League ^[5])(2007–present)
2007–08	South Dakota State	23–7	16–2	1st	WNIT First Round
2008–09	South Dakota State	32–3	17–1	1st	NCAA Second Round
2009–10	South Dakota State	22–11	14–4	2nd	NCAA First Round
2010–11	South Dakota State	19–14	12–6	T—3rd	NCAA First Round
2011–12	South Dakota State	24–9	16–2	1st	NCAA First Round
2012–13	South Dakota State	25–8	14–2	1st	NCAA First Round
2013–14	South Dakota State	26–10	13–1	1st	WNIT Semifinals
2014–15	South Dakota State	24–9	12–4	2nd	NCAA First Round
2015–16	South Dakota State	27–7	13–3	2nd	NCAA Second Round
2016–17	South Dakota State	23–9	12–4	T—2nd	WNIT Second Round
2017–18	South Dakota State	26–7	12–2	2nd	NCAA First Round
2018–19	South Dakota State	28–7	15–1	1st	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2019–20	South Dakota State	23–10	13–3	2nd	Postseason not held
2020–21	South Dakota State	21–4	14–0	1st	NCAA First Round
2021–22	South Dakota State	29–9	17–1	T—1st	WNIT Champions
2022–23	South Dakota State	29–6	18–0	1st	NCAA Second Round
2023–24	South Dakota State	27–6	16–0	1st	NCAA First Round
South Dakota State:		598–191 (.758)	294–58 (.835)
Total:		598–191 (.758)
National champion Postseason invitational champion Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament champion

*Named interim coach for the final six games.

Players drafted into WNBA

Megan Vogel (2007 WNBA draft) 2nd Round, 19th overall
Macy Miller (2019 WNBA draft) 3rd Round, 36th overall

Related Research Articles

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits Men's Basketball team is a basketball team that represents South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. The Jackrabbits are an NCAA Division I member and have played in the Summit League since 2007. The team has a 1535–1040–1 (.592) overall record.

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are the 19 intercollegiate teams representing South Dakota State University that compete in the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. SDSU is currently a member of the Summit League, the Missouri Valley Football Conference, the Big 12 Conference and Varsity Equestrian. The university won numerous conference championships and several national titles including the NCAA College Division national title in men's basketball in 1963 and the NCAA Division II national title in women's basketball in 2003.

Scott Michael Nagy is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach for Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball. He had previously served as head coach at South Dakota State for 21 seasons (1995–2016).

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball team is part of the athletic program at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. The NCAA Division I team is a member of The Summit League. The Jackrabbits head coach is Aaron Johnston.

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The 2015–16 South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball team represented South Dakota State University in the 2015–16 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Jackrabbits, led by sixteenth year head coach Aaron Johnston, competed in the Summit League and played home games at Frost Arena, in Brookings, South Dakota. They finished the season 27–7, 13–3 in Summit League play to finish in second place. They were champions of the Summit League women's tournament and earned an automatic trip to the NCAA women's tournament where they upset Miami (FL) in the first round before losing to Stanford in the second round.

The 2016–17 South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's basketball team represented South Dakota State University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Jackrabbits, led by first-year head coach T. J. Otzelberger, played their home games at Frost Arena in Brookings, South Dakota as members of the Summit League. They finished the season 18–17, 8–8 in Summit League play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place. As the No. 4 seed in the Summit League tournament, they defeated Denver, South Dakota, and Omaha to win the tournament championship. As a result, they earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As the No. 16 seed in the West region, they lost in the first round to Gonzaga.

The 2016–17 South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball represent South Dakota State University in the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Jackrabbits, led by seventeenth year head coach Aaron Johnston. The Jackrabbits compete in the Summit League. They play home games in Frost Arena, in Brookings, South Dakota.

The 2017–18 South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball represent South Dakota State University in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Jackrabbits, led by eighteenth year head coach Aaron Johnston. The Jackrabbits compete in the Summit League. They play home games in Frost Arena, in Brookings, South Dakota. They finished the season 26–7, 12–2 in Summit League play to finish in second place. They were champions of The Summit League women's tournament and earn an automatic trip to the NCAA women's tournament where they lost to Villanova in an overtime thriller in the first round.

The 2002–03 South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball represented South Dakota State University in the 2002–03 NCAA Division II women's basketball season. The Jackrabbits, led by third year head coach Aaron Johnston, played their home games in Frost Arena in Brookings, South Dakota, and played as a member of the NCC. They finished the season tied for first place in the NCC losing in the second game of the conference tournament. However, The Jackrabbits won all six of their NCAA tournament games, claiming the NCAA D–II Championship over Northern Kentucky, 65–50.

The 2018–19 South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball represent South Dakota State University in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Jackrabbits, led by nineteenth year head coach Aaron Johnston, compete in the Summit League. They play home games in Frost Arena in Brookings, South Dakota. They finished the season 28–7, 15–1 in Summit League play to win the Summit League regular season. They were champions of The Summit League women's tournament and earn an automatic trip to the NCAA women's tournament where defeated Quinnipiac and upset Syracuse in the first and second rounds to advanced to their first sweet sixteen appearance in the Division I where they lost to Oregon.

Eric Henderson is an American basketball coach. He currently coaches the South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's basketball team.

The 2019–20 South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball represent South Dakota State University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Jackrabbits, led by twentieth year head coach Aaron Johnston, compete in the Summit League. They play home games in Frost Arena in Brookings, South Dakota.

The 2020–21 South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball represent South Dakota State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Jackrabbits, led by twenty-first year head coach Aaron Johnston, compete in the Summit League. They play home games in Frost Arena in Brookings, South Dakota.

The 2021–22 South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball represented South Dakota State University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Jackrabbits, led by twenty-second year head coach Aaron Johnston, compete in the Summit League. They played their home games in Frost Arena in Brookings, South Dakota.

The 2022–23 South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball represents South Dakota State University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Jackrabbits are led by twenty-third year head coach Aaron Johnston and they compete in the Summit League. They play their home games in Frost Arena in Brookings, South Dakota.

The 2022–23 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles women's basketball represent Oral Roberts University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Golden Eagles, led by first year head coach Kelsi Musick, compete in the Summit League. They play home games in Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The 2022–23 Summit League women's basketball season began non-conference play on November 7, 2022. The conference schedule began on December 19, 2022. This will be the sixteenth season under the Summit League name and the 41st since the conference was established under its current charter as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities in 1982.

The 2023–24 Summit League women's basketball season began non-conference play on November 6, 2023. Conference play started on December 29, 2023. This was the seventeenth season of women's basketball play under the Summit League name and the forty-second overall for the conference.
The Summit League tournament took place from March 8–12, 2024. South Dakota State won the tournament, beating North Dakota State in the tournament final, and advanced to the NCAA tournament. North Dakota State, Oral Roberts, and South Dakota played in the 2024 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

The 2023–24 South Dakota State Jackrabbits women's basketball represented South Dakota State University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Jackrabbits were led by twenty-fourth year head coach Aaron Johnston and they competed in the Summit League. They played their home games in Frost Arena in Brookings, South Dakota.

References

↑ Yost, Rae (March 8, 2023). "SDSU tourney title earns Johnston $10,000". Keloland.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
↑ "Aaron Johnston (@Coach_AJ) - Twitter". twitter.com.
↑ "Aaron Johnston". www.gojacks.com.
↑ Record book ^{[ dead link ]}
↑ "The Summit League" (PDF). The Summit League.

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[1] Yost, Rae (March 8, 2023). "SDSU tourney title earns Johnston $10,000". Keloland.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[2] "Aaron Johnston (@Coach_AJ) - Twitter". twitter.com.

[3] "Aaron Johnston". www.gojacks.com.

[4] Record book ^{[ dead link ]}

[5] "The Summit League" (PDF). The Summit League.

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