Honors
TABC Small College Coach of the Year (1): 2013
Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year (1): 2012
The Noel Johnson era enters its 12th season in 2019-20 after becoming the winningest coach in program history on Dec. 19, 2017 in a 72-66 win at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
After guiding the Mustangs to a 7-10 (5-8) start and the thick of the postseason race, Johnson stepped aside for the final 10 games of the 2019-2020 season to focus on her fight against ovarian cancer. The Mustangs made the playoffs as the 11th seed, making it the third straight time and eighth time in the last nine seasons the Mustangs have qualified for the conference tournament.
Overall, the Mustangs have posted a 158-164 (.491) record under Johnson's guidance with three-straight NCAA Division II South Central Regional berths from 2013-15 and a regional title game appearance during a historic run in 2012-13.
Johnson led the Mustangs to their first Lone Star Conference title in 12 years in 2012-13 while claiming their first NCAA Division II postseason victory with a 91-78 thrashing of league rival Tarleton State in the opening round of regional play in Grand Junction, Colo.
The Mustangs led by as many as 30 points in a 66-52 second round victory over Metro State (Colo.) before falling in the title game to No. 4 Colorado Mesa, 69-65.
Led by Daktronics All-South Central Region First Team selection Andrea Carter and second-team pick Kirsti Degelia, MSU posted a single-season wins record on the way to a 26-6 mark, closing the season ranked 19th in the final USA Today Sports/WBCA Top 25. Carter went on to claim Daktronics/CoSIDA All-America Honorable Mention honors, the first all-American in the Johnson era.
The Texas Association of Basketball Coaches honored Johnson naming her Texas Small College Coach of the Year.
The Mustangs followed up the successful run by advancing to the South Central Regional with an 18-12 record in 2013-14. MSU pushed eventual NCAA Division II national runner-up West Texas A&M to the brink in the LSC Postseason Tournament semifinals by taking the Lady Buffs to overtime for the second time that season before falling to No. 4-ranked Colorado Mesa in the opening round at regionals.
In 2014-15, the Mustangs advanced to their third-straight NCAA Tournament, putting together a 12-game win streak from Nov. 18-Jan. 11 on their way to a program-best start of 13-1. MSU's postseason run would end in the opening round with a 67-57 defeat to Colorado Christian to end the season at 23-7.
Midwestern boasted multiple All-LSC First Team picks in Carter and Dianna Jones for the first time in Johnson's tenure with Carter also earning her third-straight all-region honor.
Midwestern claimed 19 wins in 2011-12 while advancing to the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament for the first time since 2003.
The victory total marked an 8.5-game improvement and the notice to escape the rest of the LSC as Johnson earned league coach of the year honors.
The Mustangs rode a 10-game winning streak - the longest for the program since the 2000-01 season - to gain national notoriety as the team received votes in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 for the first time in 11 years and were mentioned in the poll for five consecutive weeks - also a first in program history.
Four-year letterwinner Savannah Carver also became the first player to gain Daktronics All-South Central Region and All-LSC first-team honors and was joined by teammates Cierra Thompson and Kirsti Degelia who earned All-LSC honorable mention status.
Johnson paced the Mustangs to a 9-18 mark in her first season in 2008-09 while coaching a pair of All-Lone Star Conference South Division honorable mentions in forwards Rosy Ofoegbu and Andrea Buben.
The Mustangs improved to 9-17 in 2009-10, closing the season on a three-game winning streak as Nolisha Markham and Carver gained All-LSC South honorable mention.
MSU remained in contention for a postseason berth into the final week of the 2010-11 season before closing the year with a 10-16 record. Markham earned All-LSC South second-team acclaim while Carver and Thompson gained honorable mention.
She spent the 2007-08 season as an assistant coach at the University of North Texas where the Mean Green finished with a 14-18 mark including a 70-60 win over Midwestern State on Nov. 23, 2007 in Denton.
Prior to that, Johnson served nine seasons as associate head coach at Texas State University under Suzanne Fox where she was the recruiting coordinator. She played an integral role in the recruitment of 11 All-Southland Conference players, a player of the year, a freshman of the year and two Southland Conference newcomers of the year.
The Bobcats claimed a Southland Conference title in 2003 during her tenure in San Marcos.
Playing Career
Johnson enjoyed a distinguished playing career at Texas Tech University from 1991-95 where she helped the Red Raiders to four-straight Southwest Conference championships, four NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances and a national championship in 1993.
A native of west Texas, Johnson hails from Kelton and was born in nearby Shamrock. An accomplished prep athlete, she earned two letters at Nazareth High School where she helped the Swiftettes to a pair of Texas Class A state championships.
After completing her prep career, Johnson went on to earn All-Southwest Conference honors on three occasions and all-region honors once at Texas Tech.
In her time in Lubbock, she was voted to the all-time Lady Raider team at the final Southwest Conference tournament and became the school's all-time leader in 3-point percentage.
In addition to her success at Tech, Johnson will always be the Southwest Conference's most prolific 3-point shooter and was the first-ever recipient of the Jannine McHaney Award, an honor given by Texas Tech to the female athlete who most exemplifies classroom excellence, courage on the court and a commitment to excellence.
Johnson was named to the Texas Tech Hall of Honor in 2005.
Personal
Johnson graduated from Texas Tech in 1995 with a bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science degree with a minor in English. She went on to earn her master's degree in Education from Texas State in 2002.
The Johnson File
Assistant Coach at Texas State - 1998-07
Assistant Coach at North Texas - 2007-08
Head Coach at Midwestern State - 2009-
| Year |
Head Coach |
Overall |
Conference |
Conf. Finish |
Conf. Tournament |
Postseason |
|
| 2019-20* |
Noel Johnson |
7-10 (.412) |
5-8 (.385) |
11th |
First Round |
|
| 2018-19 |
Noel Johnson |
12-16 (.429) |
9-11 (.450) |
6th |
Quarterfinals |
|
| 2017-18 |
Noel Johnson |
13-14 (.481) |
10-10 (.500) |
7th |
Quarterfinals |
|
| 2016-17 |
Noel Johnson |
8-18 (.308) |
5-15 (.250) |
9th |
|
|
| 2015-16 |
Noel Johnson |
5-22 (.185) |
4-12 (.250) |
8th |
Quarterfinals |
|
| 2014-15 |
Noel Johnson |
23-7 (.767) |
12-4 (.750) |
2nd |
Finals |
NCAA II South Central Quarterfinals |
| 2013-14 |
Noel Johnson |
18-12 (.600) |
9-7 (.563) |
4th |
Semifinals |
NCAA II South Central Quarterfinals |
| 2012-13 |
Noel Johnson |
26-6 (.813) |
16-4 (.800) |
1st |
Champions |
NCAA II South Central Finals |
| 2011-12 |
Noel Johnson |
19-8 (.704) |
15-5 (.750) |
3rd |
Quarterfinals |
|
| 2010-11 |
Noel Johnson |
10-16 (.385) |
6-8 (.429) |
5th (LSC South) |
|
|
| 2009-10 |
Noel Johnson |
9-17 (.346) |
2-10 (.167) |
7th (LSC South) |
|
|
| 2008-09 |
Noel Johnson |
8-18 (.308) |
3-9 (.250) |
6th (LSC South) |
|
|
| TOTALS |
12 seasons |
158-164 (.491) |
96-103 (.482) |
1 championship |
1 championship |
3 postseason appearances |
*After guiding the Mustangs to a 7-10 (5-8) start and the thick of the postseason race, Johnson stepped aside for the final 10 games of the 2019-2020 season to focus on her fight against ovarian cancer.
