LaShawn Johnson begins her first season on the Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball staff, being named assistant coach in September 2011. Johnson was a member of the program's first CCAA Regular Season Championship team in 2010-11.
“We are excited to welcome Shawn to our staff this season,” Jimenez said. “She has been with our program since the beginning and understands the hard work it has taken to put our program on the map. Shawn said yes to us before it was cool to come to CSUMB and was also the first to win a CCAA Championship!
Johnson capped her three-season career at CSUMB with an All-CCAA second team nod after being a major contributor to the team's success in the 2010-11 season. The Otters concluded the season with a 27-4 record and made their first NCAA West Regional appearance.
The squad won the university's second regular season California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title, finishing with a 20-2 conference record. The Otters finished the season No. 1 in scoring defense by holding their opponents to an average of 51.2 points a game.
“It is a unique transition from being a player and becoming a coach for the team you played for,” said Johnson. “Transitioning to a coach will be difficult given the fact that I played with some of the players on the team. They still see me as a one of them, but I now have boundaries and limits to the relationships I can have with them.”
Johnson's primary role will be working with the guards while assisting with academics, scouting and practice planning. Johnson brings a great understanding of the team expectations and Jimenez is looking for her to help continue to build on those standards.
“I have always thought about becoming a coach, but I never thought I would have the opportunity to get the experience here at CSUMB. I am definitely grateful for the chance to learn and work along with some great coaches in Coach Jimenez and Coach Samaniego. I plan on taking the knowledge I learn and hopefully continuing on with coaching.”
“We are forever grateful to what Shawn has brought to our program and we are glad we can help her start the beginning of what I know will be a very long and successful coaching career,” said Jimenez. “Shawn will be a wonderful sounding board for our younger players and we look forward to having Shawn help us win many more championships!”
