Stacy May-Johnson will be the fifth Fresno State softball head coach in university history, Fresno State athletic director Terry Tumey announced on Friday morning,
“After an extensive national search, it became clear that Stacy May-Johnson was the right person to lead our softball program into the future,” Tumey said. “Throughout her career, both as an athlete and a coach, she has been a proven winner and a dynamic leader of young women who will make a tremendous impact on our program academically, athletically, and in our Valley community. Her commitment to the holistic student-athlete experience is commendable, and we are excited for our softball student-athletes, and the Red Wave, as we begin the Coach May-Johnson era.”
Prior to arriving at Fresno State, May-Johnson served as the head coach at Utah Valley for two seasons, where she accumulated an overall winning percentage of .507, compared to an average program winning percentage of .322 in the five seasons prior to her arrival. The Wolverines also won 24 games in 2021, the most since 2013.
“I’m excited to lead the proud Bulldog program and build upon the incredible history that so many former legends have established. I look forward to getting out on the field with our current student-athletes and working toward our next championship,” May-Johnson said.
May-Johnson played college softball at the University of Iowa, where she was named the 2003 Big Ten freshman of the year. She started all 245 games of her career and collected 263 hits during her time at Iowa.
After her collegiate career, May-Johnson went on to play professionally for the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF).
In her first year playing professionally she was named 2006 NPF rookie of the year. She spent five years in the NPF and was a two-time NPF MVP with the Bandits. She led the NPF in home runs, hits and runs scored in her 2008 and 2010 MVP campaigns.
May-Johnson went to become a three-time All-Star and led the Bandits to two championships, and she is one of just six players to have her number retired with Chicago.
May-Johnson also played softball for Team USA where she became a Pan American gold medalist and 2012 international softball federation world championship silver medalist.
As a coach, she made stops at Eastern Kentucky, Purdue University, the University of Louisville and the University of Iowa. Most notably in her second stint at Louisville, she helped lead the Cardinals in two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a second-place finish in the ACC in 2016. Under May-Johnson, Louisville collected two All-Region and seven All-ACC honorees.
May-Johnson graduated from the University of Iowa in 2007 with a bachelor’s in physics and a bachelor’s in accounting. She earned a master’s in physics from the University of Louisville in 2009.
