Jay Johnson is entering his eighth season as an assistant coach for the Southern Utah women's basketball team.
Before coming to Southern Utah, Johnson held the title of Director of Women’s Basketball Operations at Saint Mary’s College for the 2017-18 season.
During his time as DOBO, Johnson’s duties included video coordination as well as social media, details of team management, travel and logistics for road trips, and scheduling the use of facilities for practices both at home and away.
Johnson attended Saint Mary’s College from 2013-17 and graduated in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.
Since joining the Thunderbirds in 2018, Johnson has been instrumental in the development of SUU’s guard play, scouting, and player development, helping guide the team through one of the most successful stretches in program history.
Johnson helped Southern Utah achieve a 23-10 overall record and a 16-2 mark in Western Athletic Conference play, setting a new standard with the most conference victories in program history. The Thunderbirds went on to capture both the WAC regular season and tournament championships, earning the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history. The 2022-23 campaign also marked the fourth consecutive winning season for SUU, a testament to the consistency Johnson has helped establish.
In 2021-22, Johnson was part of a staff that led the Thunderbirds to an 18-win season and 14 conference victories, the second-most in school history. That year also marked the first time since 1993–96 that Southern Utah posted three straight winning seasons. The year prior, in a shortened 2020-21 season, Johnson helped guide the program to an 11-9 overall record and a 6-5 finish in Big Sky Conference play.
Johnson’s impact was already clear in his early seasons with SUU. In 2019-20, he assisted in leading the Thunderbirds to 18 wins, their highest total since 2013-14, along with 11 conference victories. The team also had its second-highest scoring season in school history, averaging 70.5 points per game and setting a program record with 197 three-pointers made. That season, Johnson worked closely with Rebecca Cardenas, who emerged as the Big Sky’s leading scorer at 17 points per game while also being named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Big Sky selection.
During his first season in Cedar City in 2018-19, Johnson made an immediate impact by helping Southern Utah double its conference win total from the year before and notch its highest overall victory total since 2014-15. The Thunderbirds also won their first Big Sky Conference Tournament game in four years and picked up notable non-conference wins over BYU, San Diego, and Utah Valley.
With a track record of success, a reputation for developing talent, and a commitment to building a winning culture, Johnson has been a vital part of SUU’s transformation into a championship-caliber program.
