By Skyler Warrick
Noel Johnson, a former Lady Raider at Texas Tech University, performed the same ritual before every basketball game. She would pull up to the gym in her Mustang on game day. Her cassette player blasted Warren G. featuring Nate Dogg’s song Regulate. Wearing her lucky tights, sports bra, and socks, she began to perform her warm-up routine starting with stretching. She would take the same shots, go to the bathroom at the same time, and carry on the same conversations with her teammates before every game.
In 1993, Johnson helped the Lady Raiders clench the NCAA National Championship win by making four free throws in the final 30 seconds of the final game.
Now, she sits behind her desk, one week from the official first day of practice. A large MSU flag hangs behind her. The basketball clock on the wall ticks away. The dry erase board is coated with plays.
The shelves are occupied by plaques, pictures, and autographed basketballs the Lady Mustangs have accumulated during Johnson’s four-year stint as head coach at MSU.
Johnson’s pre-game routine is much different now. She lists going over the game plan in her office, writing it in the locker room for the players to see, followed by setting up the game film.
“I usually pace the hallway for 20 minutes before the game because I’m so nervous,” Johnson said. To get focused for the game, Johnson said she watches film on the opponents and during scheduled practices.
Johnson was an associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Texas State University. Following that position, she became assistant coach at the University of North Texas.
“I wanted to be a head coach,” she said, explaining why she took the position at MSU in 2008. MSU is like a big family, according to Johnson. A sense of community exists, especially among the coaches, she said.
In Johnson’s fourth year at MSU, the Lady Mustangs today consist of seven returners and eight newcomers. The maturity of the returners, understanding of expectations, as well as leadership are what set this team apart from any other she has coached at MSU, she said.
“If I was to pick talent level, maturity mixed in with inexperience, this is the ideal team,” she said.
Planning to prepare the newcomers involves watching film, putting them in situations in practice, and using the experience of the returners to help them adjust.
The girls on the team are full of personality. Everyone can look forward to a fun and exciting year, according to Johnson.
The girls have developed chemistry with one another. This year there will be more defensive intensity. Offensively, she said any five players can be on the court and score. The expectations held for this team is to win, she said.
Johnson believes the key to winning a conference championship is consistently having a good mentality.
“In practice or in a game, this team needs to believe they can win always,” she said. That is what will put the Lady Mustangs ahead of the competition, according to Johnson.
As a coach and former player, Johnson tries to relate to her girls. When debating on drills, Johnson said she puts herself in positions and asks herself if she would have been able to accomplish the task.
“I saw myself as a mentally tough player,” she said. “What would Coach Marsha Sharp do,” is a question she often asks herself referring to her coach at Tech.
Johnson has incorporated some changes into MSU’s program over the years. She tries to keep her players consistent with upholding expectations made academically and on the court.
The offense has changed to more of a dribble-drive offense. She also believes that she can trust her seniors to drive the team. The seniors have the earned leadership, after being in the program four years, to understand and keep other players focused, according to Johnson.
“I believe in what we are doing more every day because I can see that she (Johnson) truly believes in the system herself,” said senior team captain Savannah Carver.
Communication is a major part of practices everyday with the Lady Mustangs. Normally the team reflects the coach’s personality, according to Johnson. Communication and expectations need to be drilled into players.
“I’ve really worked on becoming a better communicator because of this team,” she said.
Johnson is joined by two former college basketball players, on the Lady Mustang coaching staff. Assistant coach Christopher Reay was once apart of MSU men’s basketball team. He helped Midwestern win the Lone Star Conference in 2007.
Jillian Samuels, assistant coach, played at Southern Methodist University. There, she helped her team win a Conference USA Championship. Johnson believes that the success and experience of the coaches will help the girls into a winning season this year. It is important to keep the lines of communication open not only between coaches and players, but between coaches and coaches. This keeps everyone on the same page, and the girls don’t get confused on what they are supposed to do.
The Lady Mustangs have improved their winning record each year that Johnson has been here. In the past three years, five players have been named All-LSC South honorable mentions. One player, Nolisha Markham, earned All-LSC South second-team honors.
Johnson intends for the team to grow as a whole and as individual players on the court. The Lady Mustangs intend to meet the expectations set before them and win, she said.
“We want to host Regionals and we want to go to Nationals,” Johnson said.