Marshall University Athletics
Deidra Johnson Named Assistant Women's Basketball Coach
7/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
July 6, 2010
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall University head women's basketball coach Royce Chadwick has announced the hiring of Deidra Johnson to his staff for the 2010 season. Johnson will join the staff as an assistant coach. Johnson joins Chad Killinger as the two new additions to Coach Chadwick's 2010 staff.
"I am so excited to be a part of the Marshall family! Coach Chadwick and Coach White are outstanding coaches and it is an honor to be on the staff with them," Johnson said. "It is going to be an exciting year and I cannot wait for the season to start."
She joins the Thundering Herd after spending the last two years as an assistant coach at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida. Johnson served as the recruiting coordinator at Chipola while also assisting with opponent scouting, film breakdown and exchange and player development while also directing the team's summer camp.
Johnson saw success on and off the floor at Chipola. She helped the team to a third place finish in the 2009 NJCAA National Basketball Championship and a win in the Florida NJCAA Regional Tournament Championship while bringing a third-ranked recruiting class to Chipola in 2009.
"We are very excited to add Deidra to our coaching family. She brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to our staff," Chadwick said. "Her enthusiasm and love of the game is evident in her every day approach to coaching. She is a vivacious young lady with a great future in the business."
In July of 2009, Johnson was a head coach at the NJCAA All-Star games in Pensacola, Fla. where she led her team to the only undefeated weekend of the tournament.
Prior to her work at Chipola, Johnson spent a year working as an assistant coach at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. While at Coffeyville, she assisted in all aspects of the program while working closely with student-athletes on and off the court.
From 2005-07, Johnson worked for the Boy's and Girls Club of El Dorado (Ark.). She served as the Teen-Center Director for two years while also working as the SMART Girls Program Director in her final year with the organization.
Johnson began her collegiate playing career at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. In two seasons with the Lady Lions, she was named to the All-NJCAA BI State East First Team and the All-NJCAA Region VI First Team.
Following her time there, she finished her college career at Oklahoma State, playing for the Cowgirls from 2003-04. Johnson was named to the Big XII Commissioner's Honor Roll and the National Deans List in her time at OSU and was also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
