Erik Johnson, the head coach of Boston College women’s basketball, signed a four-year contract extension on Monday, which will keep him on BC’s sidelines through the 2018-19 season.
Director of Athletics Brad Bates said in a press release that he believes the program is headed in the right direction, and with Johnson the team is in “good hands.”
Johnson inherited the program in 2012 from former head coach Sylvia Crawley, who resigned due to health reasons. In his first season, he took a team that was formerly 7-23 and finished 12-19 in the 2012-13 season. Last season, the squad finished 12th in the ACC, with an overall record of 13-17. The team had one particularly exciting win against No. 13 Duke at Conte Forum, which was its first win against a ranked opponent since 2011. It was also the Eagles’ first ACC win of the season, followed by victories over Clemson, Wake Forest, NC State, and Virginia Tech.
Throughout the season, Johnson placed emphasis on getting young players experience. Freshmen Marti Mosetti, Ashley Kelsick, and Katie Quandt saw considerable minutes, in addition to sophomores Kelly Hughes and Emilee Daley.
Johnson pointed to the importance of the talented young players in Monday’s press release.
“This group of players will accomplish great things as they mature and develop,” he said. “Our success in recruiting also makes each year even more exciting than the next. I’m thrilled to be committed to Boston College for many years to come.”
In the coming years, Johnson will look to build on this core group of young players. He will also look for help from a group of five rising seniors. One of those is Nicole Boudreau, who received the honor of making the All-ACC Academic team alongside Hughes. Boudreau and Hughes—two guards that pride themselves on their shooting ability—finished as the top two scorers for BC this past season. The team as a whole broke the BC women’s basketball record for 3-pointers made in a season, and ranked 15th in the country in 3-point field goal percentage.
Featured Image by Arthur Bailin / Heights Editor
