Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Keith Michlig

 

Georgia Southwestern State University has hired Emma Johansen as its new head softball coach, Director of Athletics Mike Leeder announced Thursday afternoon. Johansen comes to GSW from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, where she led the NCAA Division II Aggies softball program as head coach the past two seasons.

“We are thrilled that Emma has accepted our offer to join the Hurricane family as our new head softball coach,” Leeder said. “It was evident throughout the interview process that Emma possesses all of the qualities we were looking for in continuing to elevate our softball program to be a regional and national contender.”

Johansen led Cameron to a pair of 30-win campaigns while posting an overall record of 61-48 during her time in Lawton. The Aggies racked up 47 wins in the Lone Star Conference over her two seasons. The LSC produced this year’s national champion, the University of Texas at Tyler, and the 2021 national champion, West Texas A&M University.

“It’s an honor to be chosen to lead the Georgia Southwestern softball program,” Johansen said. “I’d like to thank Mike Leeder for this tremendous opportunity. After meeting with many of the people that make up the GSW Athletic Department my immediate sense was that this is a community with a thriving athletic department that is on an incredible trajectory. I am eager to get on campus to meet with our players and to build on the great tradition of excellence at Georgia Southwestern State University.”

Prior to her time at Cameron, Johansen spent four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of West Florida. During her time there, the Argos made a pair of NCAA Division II Championship appearances, won the regional and super regional in 2019 as well as the Gulf South Conference Championship.

At UWF, Johansen helped coach four National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Americans, 22 All-Region selections, 15 All-GSC players, and the South Region Player of the Year, two GSC Player of the Years, and the GSC Freshman of the Year. She was also part of the Regional Coaching Staff of the Year in 2019. The Argos set multiple offensive records during Johansen’s time coaching the UWF bats.

“Emma’s experience as a Division II head coach in the highly-competitive Lone Star Conference, and her proven recruiting prowess in the geographic footprint of GSW will allow us to attract an elite-level student-athlete to campus,” Leeder said.

Prior to her time in Florida, Johansen also spent four seasons as an assistant at Alabama State University where they made multiple conference championship and tournament appearances and was a student assistant at Auburn University at Montgomery in 2013-14. She was an assistant coach with the Swedish National Team in 2017 and 2019 with the team finishing 15th at the European Championship in 2019 and eighth in 2017.

During her playing career, Johansen spent time at Gulf Coast State College, UAM, and UWF. She was a four-year starter, a NFCA All-East Region player and Southern States Athletic All-Conference selection in 2013, an All-GSC Second Team selection in 2012, and led teams in batting average, on base percentage, and stolen bases as a junior and senior.

Johansen earned her Associates of Arts at Gulf State College in 2011 and her Bachelor of Business Administration at AUM in 2017. She is originally from Johnston City, Ill.

Johansen will begin July 1 pending a final successful background check.

Special thanks to Cameron University Athletic Communications for its contribution to this story