Leah Johnson (volleyball)

Last updated

Leah Johnson
Leah Johnson.jpg
Johnson in 2021
Current position
Title Head coach
Biographical details
Born (1981-07-20) July 20, 1981 (age 43) [1]
Fair Grove, Missouri
Alma mater Southwest Missouri State University (BA, MA)
Playing career
2000–2003 Missouri State
Position(s)Libero
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2007–2008 Texas–Pan American (Asst.)
2008–2009 Missouri State (Asst.)
2010 Notre Dame (Volunteer Asst.)
2011–2016 SIU Edwardsville
2017–2021 Illinois State
2022–2024 Michigan State
Head coaching record
Overall237–201 (.541)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2x MVC Regular Season Champions (2018, 2020)
3x MVC Tournament Champions (2019, 2020, 2021)
Awards
AVCA North Region Coach of the Year (2021)
Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (2019)
Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year (2016)

Leah Michele Johnson (born July 20, 1981) is an American former volleyball player and most recently served as the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans women's volleyball team from 2022 to 2024.

Contents

Personal life

Johnson is a native of Fair Grove, Missouri. She played volleyball at her high school Marshfield High School. [2] She played collegiately for Southwest Missouri State University. She has a bachelor's degree in Spanish and master's degree in International Affairs and Administration, both from Missouri State. [3]

She is married to A.J. Weissler and the couple has two children, Edith and PJ. [4]

Playing career

Johnson played volleyball for Southwest Missouri State University from 2000–2003. Johnson served as a team captain and helped the team to four-straight seasons with 20 or more wins and a Missouri Valley Conference regular season title in 2003. She ranks among Missouri State's all-time and single-season digs leaders. In 2019, along with her former teammates and coach she was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. [5]

Head coaching career

Johnson served several assistant coach roles before becoming a head coach in 2011. Notably, she was an assistant coach in 2008 and 2009 at her alma mater Missouri State. During the 2008 season, she helped the team to a conference tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. Missouri State had an overall record of 44-23 mark during her two seasons as an assistant coach. [5] In 2010, she joined Notre Dame's coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. Some of her duties included executing practice plans, directing position-specific film sessions, scouting opponents, and tracking opponents’ offense during matches. [6]

SIU Edwardsville

Johnson was named the head coach of SIU Edwardsville volleyball program in 2011. At that time, they were an NCAA Division II program with a low win record. By 2016, SIU Edwardsville completed its transition to NCAA Division I. She was named the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year after leading the team to the conference tournament championship match for the second time in program history. In 2016, the program had 22 Division I wins, its highest ever in program history. [7] In their first season finishing above .500 at the Division I level, the Cougars went 22-8, appearing in the OVC championship for only the second time in program history.

Illinois State

Johnson was named the women's volleyball head coach at Illinois State in 2017. Johnson's overall record at Illinois State was 104-53 record and included five NCAA postseason appearances, including four straight NCAA Tournaments, marking the longest streak at ISU in nearly four decades (1982-85). [8] Johnson was named the AVCA North Region Coach of the Year after coaching a team full of newcomers to a 19-14 overall record. Despite the higher number of losses compared to previous seasons, she helped Illinois State to its fourth consecutive NCAA bid after winning the conference tournament. [9]

Johnson signed a five-year contract extension with Illinois State in January 2022, [10] but on February 7, 2022, she was announced as the new head coach at Michigan State.

Michigan State

On February 7, 2022, Johnson was announced as Michigan State's head coach, following the retirement of Cathy George. [4]

On December 16, 2024, it was announced the Johnson and Michigan State were mutually parting ways, effectively immediately. She finished her career at Michigan State with a 43–50 (.462) record.

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
SIU Edwardsville (Ohio Valley Conference)(2011–2016)
2011SIU Edwardsville 13–198–12T–7th
2012SIU Edwardsville 9–185–117th
2013SIU Edwardsville 14–188–89th
2014SIU Edwardsville 14–176–109th
2015SIU Edwardsville 8–186–10T–9th
2016SIU Edwardsville 22–813–32nd
SIU Edwardsville:90–98 (.479)46–54 (.460)
Illinois State (Missouri Valley Conference)(2017–2021)
2017Illinois State 22–1313–53rd
2018Illinois State 25–816–2T–1st NCAA First Round
2019Illinois State 22–1212–63rd NCAA First Round
2020Illinois State 16–611–31st NCAA First Round
2021Illinois State 19–1413–52nd NCAA First Round
Illinois State:104–53 (.662)65–21 (.756)
Michigan State (Big Ten Conference)(2022–2024)
2022Michigan State 13–184–16T–12th
2023Michigan State 17–149–11T–6th
2024Michigan State 13–186–1413th
Michigan State:43–50 (.462)19–41 (.317)
Total:237–201 (.541)

      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

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References

  1. ↑ "The top up-and-comers: VolleyballMag.com Under 40 Coaching Hotshots".
  2. ↑ "Leah Johnson, daughter of Randy and Cheryl Johnson, Fair Grove, and granddaughter of Virginia Johnson, Fair Grove, and Pauline Clayton, Buffalo, has been named University of Texas Pan American assistant volleyball coach".
  3. ↑ "Leah Johnson Joins Missouri State Volleyball Staff".
  4. 1 2 "Couch: It's clear what MSU sees in new volleyball coach Leah Johnson. She's impressive".
  5. 1 2 "Leah Johnson to be Enshrined in Missouri Sports Hall of Fame with Alma Mater".
  6. ↑ "LEAH JOHNSON NAMED HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH AT SIU EDWARDSVILLE".
  7. ↑ "Leah Johnson - SIUE Cougars Bio".
  8. ↑ "Leah Johnson Bio - Michigan State".
  9. ↑ "2021 REGION COACH OF THE YEAR BIOS".
  10. ↑ "Watch now: Illinois State volleyball coach Leah Johnson gets five-year contract extension".
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