Tonya Johnson Season 2025
Tonya Johnson, who helped LSU to a pair of Southeastern Conference titles and the program’s first Final Four appearance in 1990 as a player, returned to her alma mater as head coach of the Tiger volleyball team on Dec. 22, 2021.
Johnson, a four-year letterwinner for the Tigers from 1987-90, was an assistant coach on the LSU staff from 1998-2002. The native of Zachary, La., returned to Baton Rouge after working as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Texas since 2014. Her recruiting efforts helped lay the foundation for Texas becoming a volleyball powerhouse during her time in Austin.
Since returning to LSU, Johnson’s teams have earned five AVCA All-Region selections, including Jurnee Robinson, who is a two-time AVCA All-Region First Team selection, the 2023 AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year, and was tabbed 2024 All-American Honorable Mentioned by Volleyball Magazine. Johnson values education and has seven College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honorees (formally known as CoSIDA) under her watch. Her club’s 3.7 GPA in spring 2023 was the highest semester GPA in program history and the highest GPA in LSU Athletics that semester.
The Tigers have had two winning seasons in Johnson’s three-year tenure. Entering the 2025 season, Coach Johnson has a 42-43 record at LSU and a career record of 127-115 as a head coach, including an 85-72 record at Georgia Tech from 2009-2023. At GT, Johnson coached 10 All-ACC selections, including four-time All-American Monique Mead.
In Johnson’s first season at LSU in 2022, the LSU Tigers reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 and won its first NCAA Tournament match since 2014, a 3-1 victory over Hawaii. LSU recorded a 16-14 record, including a 9-9 mark in the SEC that season, highlighted by two Top 25 wins. It was the program’s first winning season since 2019.
During the 2024 season, LSU volleyball saw its highest attendance numbers in program history. The Pete Maravich Assembly Center was filled with 28,109 fans, averaging 2,008 per match. Five new attendance records were set in the top 10, including three in the top five. On Sept. 29, 2024, against No. 8 Texas, LSU set a new attendance record of 3,885 fans.
Prior to returning to LSU, Johnson had two stints at Texas that spanned 14 years. Johnson was part of Longhorn teams that reached the Final Four five times, including three appearances in the national championship match.
Texas won eight Big 12 titles during that 14-year span and compiled an overall record of 356-66. The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Tournament 13 times and have finished their seasons ranked in the Top 5 in seven of the past eight years.
Johnson was a four-year letterwinner at LSU from 1987-90, helping the Tigers to Southeastern Conference titles in 1989 and 1990. She led LSU to its first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance in 1990 and helped the Tigers advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1989.
Johnson helped lead Texas to the 2020 national championship match. She coached five Longhorns who earned 2020 All-America recognition, including first-team selections Logan Eggleston and Brionne Butler. Eggleston was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Student-Athlete of the Year and AVCA Southwest Regional Player of the Year.
Johnson served as head coach from 2009-13 at Georgia Tech. Aside from her success on the court, as stated earlier, Johnson was named the co-head coach of the 2012 U.S. Volleyball National A2 team that earned the silver medal.
Prior to her tenure at Georgia Tech, Johnson first worked at Texas as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2003-08. During her first tenure in Austin, she helped guide the Longhorns to the 2008 NCAA Final Four, following back-to-back NCAA regional final appearances in 2006 and 2007.
Recognized in the volleyball circle as an excellent recruiter on the national level, Johnson helped head coach Jerritt Elliott land the nation’s second-ranked recruiting classes in three consecutive seasons (2006-08).
In addition to serving as the recruiting coordinator, Johnson worked with the Longhorns’ outside hitters, three of whom received All-America accolades, including Juliann Faucette, the 2007 National Freshman of the Year; Ashley Engle, the 2006 Big 12 Freshman of the Year; and Destinee Hooker, a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.
Johnson served as the top assistant coach at LSU from 1998-2002 under head coach Fran Flory, and she was responsible for most of the Tigers’ recruiting efforts. Johnson began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant under Flory at Kentucky in 1995.
Before becoming a collegiate coach, Johnson taught at Wellington Landings Middle School in Boca Raton, Fla., served as an assistant coach at Olympic Heights High School, and coached the Florida Gold Coast club team.
Tonya Johnson Head Coaching Record
Season | Overall | Pct. | Conf. | Pct. | Postseason |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
At Georgia Tech | |||||
2009 | 21-10 | .677 | 15-5 | .750 | NCAA First Round |
2010 | 18-14 | .563 | 11-8 | .563 | |
2011 | 15-16 | .483 | 9-12 | .429 | |
2012 | 19-12 | .613 | 10-10 | .500 | |
2013 | 12-20 | .375 | 6-14 | .300 | |
GT Totals | 85-72 | .541 | 51-50 | .505 | |
At LSU | |||||
2022 | 16-14 | .533 | 9-9 | .500 | NCAA Second Round |
2023 | 11-17 | .393 | 6-12 | .333 | |
2024 | 15-12 | .556 | 7-9 | .438 | |
LSU Totals | 42-43 | .494 | 22-30 | .423 | |
Overall | 127-115 | .524 | 73-80 | .477 |
Tonya Johnson’s Collegiate Coaching Record at Texas
Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Year Record Rank Postseason
2021 27-2 No.5 NCAA Regional Finalist
2020 27-2 No. 2 NCAA runner up
2019 23-4 No. 8 NCAA Regional Semifinal
2018 23-5 No. 5 NCAA Regional Finalist
2017 27-3 No. 5 NCAA Regional Finalist
2016 27-5 No. 2 NCAA runner up
2015 30-3 No. 2 NCAA runner up
2014 27-3 No. 5 NCAA Final Four
2008 29-4 No. 4 NCAA Final Four
2007 27-4 No. 6 NCAA Regional Final
2006 24-7 No. 7 NCAA Regional Final
2005 24-5 No. 16 NCAA Second Round
2004 26-5 No. 11 NCAA Regional Semifinalist
2003 15-14