During the offseason, the LSU Lady Tigers announced that they hired former LSU standout Ashley Johnson as the new director of player development.
Formerly known as Ashley Thomas, Johnson made four consecutive Women’s Final Four appearances as a player for the Lady Tigers from 2004-08 and helped them win three Southeastern Conference Championships. She started 92 games with the Lady Tigers and was a team captain for her junior and senior years.
Her experience and success as a Lady Tiger is expected to help motivate and push the current players.
“Whenever you can bring back one of your own, that is a great thing,” said LSU coach Nikki Fargas. “Ashley is someone who is well-respected not only in the LSU program, but also within women’s basketball.”
Fargas believes that Johnson’s experience as a player at LSU will help her relate to the players, and vice versa.
“With her experience, you got somebody that has physically and emotionally been in their shoes,” Fargas said. “Our student-athletes are able to talk to her and use her as a resource. She brings a different passion to the game and I am glad she has joined our staff. She is going to be one of those great coaches in the near future.”
Johnson compared this current Lady Tigers squad to her own from when she played more than 10 years ago. She said she sees many similarities in the atmosphere.
“One of the things we had was talent and competitiveness and I think we have a good mixture of that with this team as well,” Johnson said. “They want to win. They have that will to go get it done.”
She said she can see them potentially being really good.
“I just try to offer whatever little bit of knowledge if I see something,” Johnson said. “They have four coaches, so they don’t necessarily need me to be a fifth. I try my best to give them that positive encouragement. Sometimes coaches can get on you pretty tough. I kind of be the mom. That nurturing side of me comes out.”
Johnson said in the long run she wants to learn and grow from “some of the best coaches in the business.”
Junior forward Ayana Mitchell said Johnson helps to bring a different mentality to the Lady Tigers team.
It can be felt among the Lady Tigers that they appreciate having Johnson on the staff. Her experience and success as a Lady Tiger herself helps motivate and relate to the current players and she brings a lot of passion and a competitive mentality to the team.
“She brings a great vibe to the team and the program,” Mitchell said. “She is able to help me understand what it actually means to be a Lady
Tiger. And her having the experience that she had and being coached she has helped me understand the type of hard work that I have to put in to be at the level that she was when she was here.”