Tonya Johnson Hometown: Zachary, La. Position: Head Coach Birthdate: 09/01/1969 Experience: 3rd season Alma Mater: LSU

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Tonya Johnson begins her third season as head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets with a 39-24 (.619) career record.

In her first season, Tonya Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to a 21-10 record and their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2004. Under Johnson, the Jackets finished third in the ACC after being picked eighth in the preseason poll with a 15-5 conference record. Johnson coached two AVCA honorable mention All-Americans, the ACC Freshman of the Year and three All-ACC picks.

This past season, Tech finished 18-14 and 11-9 in the ACC. Four more players earned all-conference honors, while senior Mary Ashley Tippins and sophomore Monique Mead earned honorable mention All-American accolades. In addition, Mead was named to the U.S. Volleyball Women's National A2 Program roster for the second straight season.

Johnson immediately won over Georgia Tech fans as the Jackets topped rival Georgia in a five-set thriller in her first career match as a head coach. Later in the season, the Yellow Jackets handed ACC champion and NCAA national seed Florida State its only conference loss of the season. The win was Tech's first on the road against a ranked team since 2003. The Yellow Jackets finished in the top of the ACC in nearly every statistical category including second in assists, third in kills and fourth in hitting percentage. Defensively, Tech allowed the second-fewest kills, assists and digs in the league.

Tonya Johnson was named the seventh head volleyball coach in Georgia Tech history on January 9, 2009. She was an assistant coach under Jerritt Elliott at Texas for five years before being promoted to associate head coach in 2008. She helped guide the Longhorns to the 2008 NCAA Final Four following back-to-back Regional Final appearances in 2006 and 2007. The Longhorns concluded last season with a 31-3 record after recording more than 20 victories in each of the four seasons prior. An excellent recruiter on the national level, Johnson helped Elliott land the nation's second-ranked recruiting classes in each of the last three seasons (2006-08). Texas' 2009 recruiting class is aslo expected to be among the country's best, with the signing of the nation's top- and fifth-ranked prep players. A Longhorn has earned the Big 12's Conference Freshman of the Year honor each of the last three seasons, one of whom has also been named the National Freshman of the Year.

In addition to serving as the recruiting coordinator, Johnson worked with the Longhorns' outside hitters, three of whom received All-America accolades over her last three seasons at Texas. Juliann Faucette, the National Freshman of the Year in 2007, was tabbed a first-team AVCA All-American in 2007 after receiving first team Big 12 honors as a freshman. Ashley Engle, a right-side hitter that earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2006, was named a first-team AVCA All-American in 2008 after being tabbed to the AVCA All-America second team in 2006, and Destinee Hooker received first-team AVCA All-America honors in 2008 after earning second-team accolades in 2007 and honorable mention recognition in 2006.

Prior to her arrival at Texas in 2003, Johnson served as the top volleyball assistant at LSU from 1998-2003 under Fran Flory, where she was responsible for the majority of the Tigers' recruiting efforts. Johnson began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant under Flory at Kentucky in 1995.

Johnson was a four-year letterwinner at LSU from 1987-90, helping the Tigers to Southeastern Conference titles in 1989 and 1990. She led her Tiger team to the NCAA Final Four her senior year after LSU advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1989. Prior to joining the collegiate coaching ranks, Johnson taught at Wellington Landings Middle School in Boca Raton, Fla., while serving as an assistant coach at Olympic Heights High School and coaching the Florida Gold Coast club team.