Aaron Johnston (basketball)

Aaron Johnston
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamSouth Dakota State
ConferenceSummit League
Record598–191 (.758)
Annual salary$290,000[1]
Biographical details
Born (1974-08-28) August 28, 1974 (age 50)
Pine Island, Minnesota
Alma materGustavus Adolphus College ('96)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1996–1997NDSCS (asst.)
1997–1999South Dakota State (GA)
1999–2000South Dakota State (asst.)
2000–presentSouth Dakota State
Head coaching record
Overall598–191 (.758)
Tournaments5–11 (NCAA Division I)
13–2 (NCAA Division II)
13–4 (WNIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
  • WNIT Championship (2022)
  • NCAA Division II Women's Championship (2003)
  • 2x NCC regular season championships (2003, 2004)
  • 10x Summit League regular season championships (2008, 2009, 2012–2014, 2019, 2021–2024)
  • 10x Summit League conference tournament championships (2009–2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023)
Awards
  • 2003 Molten/Women’s Division II Bulletin Coach of the Year
  • 2x Independent League Coach of the Year (2006, 2007)
  • 6x Summit League Coach of the Year (2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2021, 2022)

Aaron Johnston[2] (born (1974-08-28)August 28, 1974) is an American basketball coach who has been the head women's basketball coach at South Dakota State University since 1999.[3] Johnston has led the Jackrabbits to the NCAA Division II in 2003.

South Dakota State

Aaron Johnston started at South Dakota State working with the men's basketball team as a graduate assistant under then head coach Scott Nagy. He moved to the women's basketball team as an assistant coach under Nancy Neiber. During the 1999–2000 season, Neiber took a leave of absence and Johnston took over as interim for the final six games. During those six games, he went on to defeat the #2 ranked and eventual NCAA D-II Runner up; North Dakota State.

Johnston became head coach of the Jackrabbits on June 30, 2000, making him the seventh head coach in SDSU women's basketball era. In three of his first four years as head coach, he led South Dakota State to the Elite Eight three straight years, and won the NCAA D-II national championship over Northern Kentucky 65–50.

Since joining the Summit League in the 2007–08 season the Jackrabbits have made the postseason every year (11 NCAA, 4 WNIT).

He also coached one year for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's and women's golf team.[citation needed]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
South Dakota State (NCC Division II [4]) (1999–2004)
1999–2000 South Dakota State 4–2* 4–2* 4th
2000–01 South Dakota State 15–12 9–9 T—5th
2001–02 South Dakota State 28–9 12–6 T—2nd NCAA D-II Elite Eight
2002–03 South Dakota State 32–3 14–2 T—1st NCAA D-II Champs
2003–04 South Dakota State 26–7 11–3 T—1st NCAA D-II Elite Eight
South Dakota State (NCAA Division I independent) (2004–2007)
2004–05 South Dakota State 21–7
2005–06 South Dakota State 19–9
2006–07 South Dakota State 25–6 WNIT Quarter-finals
South Dakota State (Summit League[5]) (2007–present)
2007–08 South Dakota State 23–7 16–2 1st WNIT First Round
2008–09 South Dakota State 32–3 17–1 1st NCAA Second Round
2009–10 South Dakota State 22–11 14–4 2nd NCAA First Round
2010–11 South Dakota State 19–14 12–6 T—3rd NCAA First Round
2011–12 South Dakota State 24–9 16–2 1st NCAA First Round
2012–13 South Dakota State 25–8 14–2 1st NCAA First Round
2013–14 South Dakota State 26–10 13–1 1st WNIT Semifinals
2014–15 South Dakota State 24–9 12–4 2nd NCAA First Round
2015–16 South Dakota State 27–7 13–3 2nd NCAA Second Round
2016–17 South Dakota State 23–9 12–4 T—2nd WNIT Second Round
2017–18 South Dakota State 26–7 12–2 2nd NCAA First Round
2018–19 South Dakota State 28–7 15–1 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2019–20 South Dakota State 23–10 13–3 2nd Postseason not held
2020–21 South Dakota State 21–4 14–0 1st NCAA First Round
2021–22 South Dakota State 29–9 17–1 T—1st WNIT Champions
2022–23 South Dakota State 29–6 18–0 1st NCAA Second Round
2023–24 South Dakota State 27–6 16–0 1st NCAA First Round
2024–25 South Dakota State 10–3 –
South Dakota State: 608–194 (.758) 294–58 (.835)
Total: 598–191 (.758)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

*Named interim coach for the final six games.

Players drafted into WNBA

See also

References

  1. ^ Yost, Rae (March 8, 2023). "SDSU tourney title earns Johnston $10,000". Keloland.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  2. ^ "Aaron Johnston (@Coach_AJ) - Twitter". twitter.com.
  3. ^ "Aaron Johnston". www.gojacks.com.
  4. ^ Record book [dead link‍]
  5. ^ "The Summit League" (PDF). The Summit League.