Johns Selected to USA Softball Coaching Pool
Thursday, March 24, 2005 | Softball
University of Florida Head Softball Coach Karen Johns has been selected as one of 16 coaches that will have the opportunity serve on the coaching staff of either the US National team or the US Elite team this summer.
Johns is one of eight coaches who will help select the two teams June 13-17 at the National Team Selection Camp in Chula Vista, Calif. Following the camp, Johns will receive her coaching appointment from the Women's National Team Selection Committee.
Johns is already familiar with the National team system as she played for the National team from 1989-95. As a US National team member, her team won gold medals at the 1990 and 1994 ISF World Championships, 1989 and 1990 US Olympic Festivals, 1994 South Pacific Classic and the 1994 Pan American Games, as well as bronze medals in the 1994 and 1995 US Olympic Festivals.
"It was a privilege for me to represent my country and my sport as a player. Now it is an honor to do so as a coach as well," Johns said. "The success of the US teams in the Olympics and other international competition has done so much to generate interest in and promote the sport. I am excited for the chance to be a part of that."
Johns is in her fifth season at the University of Florida and has compiled a 175-114 record in her career. She has led the Gators to three NCAA Regional appearances. The Gators finished each of the last two season with 40-plus wins and have been ranked or receiving votes in the USA Softball poll since its inception in February of 2003, with a high ranking of No. 12 on April 12, 2004. The Johns led Gators began the 2005 season on an 11-game win streak. They currently hold a 24-6 record and are on a 10-game win streak, with all 10 games having been played on the road. The Gators are No. 14 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll and No. 15 in the USA Today/NFCA Poll.
USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women's National Team is one of the only two women's sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won seven World Championship titles including the last five consecutive.
The additional seven coaches who will be selecting the teams are:
●Ken Eriksen (Temple Terrace, Fla., head coach University of South Florida)
●Carol Hutchins (Ann Arbor, Mich., head coach at the University of Michigan)
●Brian Kolze (Linden, Calif., head coach at Pacific University)
●Jay Miller (Starkville, Miss., head coach at Mississippi State University)
●John Rittman (San Jose, Calif., head coach at Stanford University)
●Scott Whitlock (Marietta, Ga., head coach at Kennesaw State University)
●Teresa Wilson (Lubbock, Texas, head coach at Texas Tech University)
The following eight coaches have also been chosen from the coaching pool for possible appointments to 2005 National Team events.
●Suzy Brazney (Buena Park, Calif., head coach at Golden West College)
●Chuck D'Arcy (Sacramento, Calif., ASA Hall of Famer, Founder and former manager of Sacramento
Rush Girls Softball Team)
●Gordon Eakin (Sandy, Utah, head coach at Brigham Young University)
●Stacy Iveson (Tucson, Ariz., head coach at Pima Community College)
●Barbara Jordan (Northridge, Calif., head coach at Cal State Northridge)
●Cheri Kempf (Antioch, Tenn., Owner/Instructor, Club K Fastpitch Softball Training Facility)
●Mike Larabee (Bellbrook, Ohio, head coach at Wright State University)
●Mark Lumley (Waco, Texas, Asst. Coach at Baylor University)
