WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- There is no doubt Noel Johnson was driven to win.

By the time she arrived at Midwestern State in 2008, Johnson had made her mark with the national champion Texas Tech Lady Raiders, who also won four Southwest Conference titles during her time in Lubbock.

Johnson is set for posthumous induction into the Midwestern State Athletic Hall of Honor prior to the Homecoming festivities at halftime of MSU's football game against Western Oregon Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Of course, she had also sparked the growing of lore by leading Nazareth to a pair of Class A state championships growing up in the tiny nearby community of Kelton.

Johnson's mark on the basketball court was legendary, but paled in comparison to size of her heart and the desire to push others to greater success in life.

She once closed a player in her office not allowing her to come out until she completed her application for film school. She encouraged another to visit the optometrist which improved her game. Then, there was always the joy of a big signing which sometimes resulted in cartwheels.

Coach J returned the commitment by pushing each of her student-athletes to graduate. And each one who completed her playing eligibility earned a degree from Midwestern State.

On the floor, Johnson led the Mustangs to three NCAA Division II tournament appearances including a magical run to the South Central Region finals in 2013.

That season, the Mustangs posted 26 wins which was the most by the program in the NCAA era on the way to claiming a Lone Star Conference regular season title.

As the top seed in the LSC Postseason Tournament, MSU rolled to double-digit wins over Eastern New Mexico and Tarleton State before beating West Texas A&M 85-83 in an epic overtime game in the final.

The Mustangs continued the run by beating Tarleton State for a fourth time that season in the opening round of the South Central Regional in Grand Junction, Colorado. MSU advanced to the title game with a 14-point win over Metro State before falling in the final 69-65 to host Colorado Mesa.

Johnson earned Texas Small College Coach of the Year by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches in 2013 after earning top coaching honors from the LSC in 2012.

She would lead the Mustangs to NCAA Division II postseason tournament showings in each of the next two seasons and to the LSC postseason tournament championship game in 2015.

Johnson earned numerous honors as a Texas basketball legend. She was inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Honor in 2005, the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in 2019.

The Lone Star Conference moved to name its annual coach of the year award in honor of Johnson prior to the 2020-21 season following her 14-month fight with ovarian cancer.

The Midwestern State Hall of Honor represents the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the MSU Department of Athletics. The accomplishments of those enshrined exemplify the character, spirit, commitment, high level of achievement and reflect the honor, excellence, and traditions of the university.

Individuals are recognized for their contributions as student-athletes, coaches, administrators or as outstanding advocates of Midwestern State Athletics.