Ashley Johnson ’20 has been an assistant coach on USI Women's Basketball coaching staff for three seasons after coming on board ahead of the 2023-24 season, following her playing career from 2015-20.
Johnson has helped guide the Screaming Eagles to three-straight 20-win seasons, three-straight appearances in the OVC tournament, reaching at least the semifinal round for a third consecutive season, as well as three-straight appearances in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). In 2024-25, USI reached the WNIT Super Sixteen for the first time. She has helped coach five All-OVC selections since joining the coaching staff.
In Johnson's first season as an assistant coach in 2023-24, Johnson helped lead Southern Indiana to a historic, championship season with USI winning the 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championship titles. The two OVC championships were the first OVC team championships in USI Athletics history. By winning the OVC, Southern Indiana made its first-ever appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Screaming Eagles went 25-7 overall and 17-1 in conference play.
Johnson played for Southern Indiana from 2017-20 under Head Coach Rick Stein. Johnson finished her career ranked No. 11 all-time at USI with 236 career assists, tied for No. 12 with 155 steals, and No. 39 with 677 career points. In three seasons in a USI uniform, Johnson made 51 starts in 86 appearances. Plus, Johnson collected Academic All-GLVC honors while with the Screaming Eagles.
In her senior season in 2019-20, Johnson was arguably one of the top point guards in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, earning first-team All-GLVC honors. Johnson led USI and ranked 17th in the GLVC with 13.1 points per contest, including a team-high 14.1 points per game in GLVC play. She also ranked fifth in the GLVC and first on the team in both assists (4.04 apg) and steals (2.33 spg). Johnson recorded her first-ever double-double when she finished with 17 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in USI's 70-63 win over Southwest Baptist.
After her USI career, Johnson earned her master's degree in clinical exercise physiology at Loughborough University in England. While there, Johnson and her team won the BUCS Division 1 Premier League Championship.
Before coming to USI, Johnson was at Eastern Kentucky University where she played in two games as a freshman in 2015-16 before playing rugby in 2016-17.
Johnson is a Louisville, Kentucky native, where she played for Sacred Heart Academy.
