Deidra Johnson - Assistant Coach - Women's Basketball Coaches

Deidra Johnson

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
deidra.johnson@uni.edu

Deidra Johnson is entering her first season with the UNI women’s basketball program during the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach.

Johnson comes to UNI after a three-year stint as the Associate Head Coach of the Indiana State women’s basketball team including being named the Interim Head Coach during the 2023-24 season starting in December.

In her third season at Indiana State, Johnson worked primarily with guards. Defense was a calling card for Johnson's guards as the Sycamores ranked in the top five in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) in three-point field goal percentage defense. Guard Ella Sawyer was a top-15 assist-getter for the Sycamores while both Sawyer and Kiley Bess were top-15 in the Valley in steals.

In her second season, Johnson's backcourt players played an instrumental role in the Sycamores' success. Del'Janae Williams and Anna McKendree led the Sycamores in scoring and 3-point shooting, with McKendree also leading the MVC in steals. Both Williams and McKendree averaged more than 3.5 rebounds and more than 2.5 assists while scoring in double-figures for the season. Williams' 30-point game against Bradley was the first for a Sycamore in the regular season since the 2013-14 campaign.

Johnson played an instrumental role in the development of Del'Janae Williams during the 2021-22 season, as the Sycamore guard earned both Honorable Mention All-MVC and MVC All-Defensive Team honors. Williams led the Sycamores with 18 double-figure scoring games, including five 20-point games, while also setting career-highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals. That season, Williams, Marie Hunter, Anna McKendree and Caitlin Anderson all ranked among the top 15 in the MVC in steals.

Johnson joined the Indiana State coaching staff after spending a season at Texas State in San Marcos, Texas as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Prior to her time at Texas State, she spent four seasons with the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

Johnson served as an assistant coach for Arkansas State from 2015-19, helping lead the Red Wolves to 61 victories and a Women's NIT appearance. Among the highlights in her time in Jonesboro, Ark., Arkansas State went 27-6 overall and 19-1 in the Sun Belt Conference to win the regular-season title and earn a bid to the WNIT in 2015-16. The Red Wolves set school records for wins (27), longest winning streak (18) consecutive home wins (25) and field-goal percentage (.450) during that season.

During her time in Jonesboro, Johnson helped mold Khadija Brown-Haywood into a first-team all-conference selection as a senior, developed All-Sun Belt Conference selection Akasha Westbrook, turned Brittney Gill into a third-team all-conference pick and worked with Aundrea Gamble, who was the first player in Sun Belt Conference history to win three-straight Student-Athlete of the Year awards.

Prior to Arkansas State, Johnson spent a season at Blinn College, where she contributed to the Buccaneers compiling a 20-11 record and helped four players earn Division I scholarships while four additional athletes went on to compete at Division II schools.

Johnson also spent time at Texas-San Antonio, where she helped Whitney Wright set the school's all-time blocked shots record after spending two seasons at Marshall where she helped the Thundering Herd lead Conference-USA with a 32% from behind the three-point arc in addition to averaging 10.5 steals a game. She mentored second-team all-conference selection, Tynikki Crook throughout her time in West Virginia as well.

Johnson began her coaching career at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas as an assistant coach before moving on to Chipola College in Mariana, Fla., where she helped the team to a third-place finish in the 2009 NJCAA National Basketball Championship. While at Chipola, Johnson coached 10 players who earned Division I scholarships, three of which went on to play professionally.

Off the court, Johnson worked for the Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado (Ark.) and 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.

Beginning her collegiate career at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Johnson was named to the All-NJCAA BI-State East First Team and the All-NJCAA Regional VI First Team. She went on to conclude her college career at Oklahoma State, where she was named to the Big XII Commissioner's Honor Roll and the National Deans List while also serving as a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.