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It hasn't taken long for Susie Johnson to settle into her role as the head coach for the UWM volleyball program. After 10 years as an assistant and associate head coach in Milwaukee, Johnson was named head coach in May of 2007, with former head coach Kathy Litzau taking the post of associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at UWM. All Johnson has done since is lead UWM to 49 wins and back-to-back regular season league titles, giving the program an incredible string of six-straight league crowns. In 2008, Johnson directed a squad that included 12 freshmen and sophomores to the top of the league standings. UWM also beat then-#18 Iowa State during non-league play and reached 20 wins for the 11th time in the last 12 years. On top of that, UWM claimed the Horizon League Tournament title and automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Johnson also earned league coach of the year recognition for the second-straight time. "Each week that went on, I knew the team could do it," Johnson said. "The fact that we could continue to put it together, especially having that bump in the road with the week where we lost three matches in a row, really showed something. Coming out of that was really impressive and showed they were mature beyond their years. I am hoping it transfers into this year and I think it will. You can't simulate in practice, or any other time, that conference tournament feeling or that Iowa State match feeling. But that match gave the team a good bit of confidence they could do it." During her first season as head coach, Johnson led the Panthers to a school-record 26 wins and a fifth-straight Horizon League regular season title. UWM also put together winning streaks of 14 and 12 matches during her first year. All of that success has helped Johnson quickly settle in to her spot in charge of the program. "I feel more comfortable and more settled and it is nice having the same staff," Johnson said. "We have had a lot of things come up over the last few years from a head coach's perspective, we've had to make quick decisions, figure out lineups and figure out injuries. I really feel comfortable. There is always that new season and you never really know what to expect. You can assume some things, but you don't really know how those will turn out. But as far as the day-to-day of being a head coach, I definitely feel more comfortable." Johnson has also developed great continuity among her staff, with both Lindsey Vanden Berg and Evan Berg back in their roles for a third-straight season. "The thing about Evan and Lindsey is they offer a balance for me, because I have a certain personality and they have different ones," Johnson said. "It really has been nice for them to get to know me better and for me to get to know them better. The team feels very comfortable with them, and that makes the chemistry that much better. We have a lot of matches behind us and we all have a lot of experience in both matches and recruiting to draw on." UWM has won either the regular season or tournament championship in league play in all 12 seasons Johnson has been on the staff at UWM, while seven of the last 12 Panther squads have qualified for the NCAA Tournament. A closer look reveals some astounding numbers that highlight the incredible success Johnson has been a part of with the Panthers. In her 12 seasons in Milwaukee as a head coach and assistant, UWM has compiled a 275-82 overall record. That number includes a 146-18 mark in Horizon League play and a 127-15 record in home matches. Plus, the Panthers have won 76 of their 81 home league matches with Johnson on the bench, including a current string of 37-straight. Johnson's move into the head coaching position has given her the opportunity to continue her work in the recruitment and development of the talent that has kept the Panthers on top of the Horizon League. Her efforts on the recruiting trail have led to five League Newcomers of the Year during her tenure, with Leanne Felsing (2004) and Becky Peters (2005) the most-recent UWM honorees. Plus, 14 Panther players have earned a spot on the league's all-newcomer team in the last 12 years, including Kerri Schuh and Samatha Trawitzke in 2008. Panther players have then consistently developed into the best players in the Horizon League. In her 12 seasons in Milwaukee, Johnson has coached seven League Players of the Year, with Leanne Felsing earning those accolades in 2007 after Cheryl Hegemann claimed those honors in 2006. In all, players have earned all-league honors 35 times under the direction of Johnson. The recognition for Panther players has extended far beyond the Horizon League, though. With Johnson's assistance, UWM players have earned AVCA All-America honors six times, with Leanne Felsing receiving recognition in both 2006 and 2007. And, Panther players have earned AVCA All-Region honors 17 times in the 12 seasons Johnson has been in Milwaukee. Johnson's background as a player was at setter, where she earned All-Big Sky and All-Northwest Region honors while at Idaho State. She has used that experience to develop a long line of successful setters, with Katie Schneider collecting all-league honors three times, Lindsey Spoden earning 2000 Midwest Region Freshman of the Year honors and 2003 Horizon League Player of the Year honors and Melissa Lange claiming all-league honors twice. In fact, each of the 10 entries on UWM's single-season assist record list have come during Johnson's tenure in Milwaukee. Johnson was also a two-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree and has helped direct the UWM volleyball team to great success in the classroom. The team has been regularly honored by the American Volleyball Coaches' Association for its grade-point average while Hegemann earned CoSIDA Academic All-America third-team honors in 2006. Lauren Felsing captured Academic All-America second-team accolades in 2008. A native of Racine, Johnson joined the Panther staff after serving as an assistant coach at Indiana State. She also worked at Idaho State and was head coach at UW-Parkside. She lives in Racine with her husband, C.J., son Ty, daughter Josie and stepson Brody.
Success With Susie • 275-82 record in her now 12 seasons as both an assistant coach and head coach at UWM • Won 146 of 164 league matches and posted 11 20-win seasons • Panthers have earned seven NCAA Tournament berths, 10 regular season league titles and five league tournament titles • Has recruited five League Newcomers of the Year and 17 members of the All-Newcomer Team • Played at Idaho State, where she was the Big Sky Conference MVP and earned a spot on the Big Sky All-Academic Team |
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