Nichole Johnson
Springfield, Ohio — Wittenberg Director of Athletics and Recreation Garnett Purnell has announced the hiring of Nichole Johnson as the university's new women's lacrosse head coach. She replaces Kati Robbins, class of 2002, who resigned in June to pursue other professional opportunities.
Johnson comes to Wittenberg from Lynchburg College, where she served as an assistant coach for the last two years. While there, she helped the Hornets to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament each year. Six members of the 2009 team and three members of the 2008 team received All-ODAC honors.
"We are thrilled to welcome Nichole to the Wittenberg athletics family, and we look forward to supporting her as she continues to build our women's lacrosse program," Purnell said.
A native of Pasadena, Md., Johnson graduated from Lynchburg in 2007 with a degree in psychology before earning a master's degree in educational leadership in 2009. In addition to her work on the sidelines during the collegiate season, Johnson has experience coaching at the Johns Hopkins Lacrosse Camp in 2008 and 2009 and the Nike Lacrosse Camp at Adrian College.
As a collegiate student-athlete, she earned four varsity letters in women's lacrosse while starting all 70 career games. In 2007, Johnson was one of four team captains, and she put an exclamation point on her collegiate career with first-team All-ODAC honors, second-team All-South Region honors and selection to the Virginia Sports Information Directors College Division All-State Team. In addition, Johnson earned second-team All-ODAC in 2005 and 2006 and second-team All-Chesapeake Region and all-state in 2005.
Johnson also represented the United States as a member of the US Athletes International Team that competed in a tournament in Prague, Czech Republic in 2005.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to work at Wittenberg University," Johnson said. "I see great potential here, and I look forward to the start of my head coaching career."
Johnson takes over a program that finished 7-7 in 2009 and earned its first trip to the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament since 2003. Heading into the fall non-traditional season, she inherits 20 returning letterwinners, led by all-conference honorees Hannah Walsh, class of 2011 from Rochester, NY, Jordan Beauchamp, class of 2011 from Noblesville, Ind., and Amanda Trepanier, class of 2011 from Napierville, Ill.
Written by: Ryan Maurer
Photo by: Erin Pence
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