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On June 29, 2005, Karen Johns was selected to guide the Virginia softball team as she was named the seventh head coach in the 27-year history of the Cavalier softball program. Johns, who had spent her entire coaching career in the powerful Southeastern Conference, now looks to ascend the Virginia softball program to national prominence.
Johns spent her first season at Virginia instilling her philosophies and reshaping the foundation of the program. She has the Cavaliers poised for tremendous success in the very near future.
In six seasons as a head coach, Johns has registered a 221-157 overall record. She tallied a 79-69 mark in SEC play and led her teams to four NCAA Regionals appearances in her first five seasons as a head coach. In addition to six seasons as a head coach, Johns served as an assistant coach on the collegiate level for nine years.
In her first season at Virginia in 2006, the Cavaliers finished the year with a 29-26 overall record and a 7-13 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Johns' team was successful in the classroom as a total of 12 players were named to the 2005-06 ACC Academic Honor Roll. Six of those players - Elea Crockett, Jackie Greer, Erin Horn, Lindsey Preuss, Brooke Sorber and Jessica Taylor were named to the inaugural All-ACC Academic Softball Team. Greer was also honored as an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III Second Team honoree.
Johns, who is known for creating a family atmosphere amongst her teams, had the unique opportunity to spend part of the summer of 2005 coaching some of the elite players in the world as an assistant coach for USA Softball. She helped coach the United States Elite Team to the silver medal in the Canada Cup, which took place July 2-11 in South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. The team compiled a 10-1 record, losing only the championship game to Australia. Johns also served as an assistant coach for the USA Women's National Team, which competed in the first ever World Cup in Oklahoma City, Okla., July 14-18. Team USA won pool play with a 3-1 record, but fell to 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Japan in the championship game.
In the summer of 2006, Johns continued her association with USA Softball again serving as an assistant coach for the National Team. She helped guide the USA to the XI International Softball Federation (ISF) Women's World Championship in early September in Beijing, China. The USA defeated Japan 3-0 in the championship game for its sixth consecutive World Championship.
Johns, formerly Karen Sanchelli, is the first person to play and coach in the World Championships for the United States. As a catcher, she helped the USA National Team win gold medals at the 1990 and 1994 ISF World Championships.
In November of 2006, Johns again served USA Softball as an assistant coach, this time at the Japan Cup in Yokohama, Japan. The USA closed out its season with its third title of 2006.
Prior to winning the world title, Johns helped the USA National Team win the gold medal at the II World Cup of Softball, which was held July 13-17 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
In June of 2005, Johns came to Virginia after serving as the head coach at Florida for five seasons, where she compiled a 192-131 record for a .594 winning percentage. Under Johns, the Gators showed steady improvement and her teams set single season records for slugging percentage, on-base percentage, triples, home runs, sacrifice flies, stolen bases, strikeouts per game, fewest losses, saves, strikeouts, fielding percentage, assists, double plays, lowest stolen bases against average, most runners caught stealing, and pickoffs.
In 2005 Florida got off to its best start in school history, winning its first 11 games, and went on to post a 41-23 record. The Gators finished fifth in the SEC with an 18-12 record, which matched their best regular season finish (Florida was also fifth in 2001 and 2003). It marked the third consecutive year the Gators won 40 or more games. Florida had six wins against ranked opponents, including a doubleheader sweep of College World Series participant Tennessee with both wins coming against first-team All-American pitcher Monica Abbott. Florida was ranked as high as 14th on two occasions in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Collegiate Association Softball Top 25 Poll (its highest ranking ever in that poll) and 13th in March 29 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll.
In May, the Gators earned the No. 13 seed in the 2005 NCAA Tournament and were selected to host a four-team regional. It marked the third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, and the fourth in Johns' five seasons at Florida (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005). It was also the second time under Johns that the team was selected to host a regional. In addition to receiving prestigious team honors, individual players were recognized. Two Florida players were selected to the NFCA All-Southeast Region teams and two players earned spots on the All-Southeastern Conference Softball teams. Johns had seven players earn 11 All-SEC honors in the previous four seasons.
Johns' players are not only coached to be successful on the field, but also in the classroom. In 2005, two players were selected to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District teams. Johns had six players named to the All-District teams in her previous four seasons at Florida, and two of those players earned Academic All-America honors.
In 2004, the Gators finished with a 41-20 record and earned their highest ranking ever at 12th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Florida was also ranked as high as 15th in the NFCA poll. The Gators reached NCAA Regionals for the second straight season in 2004. In 2003, Florida hosted a NCAA Regional for the first time in school history and registered a 41-25 record. The Gators also advanced to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament the same season. Florida tallied a 32-35 mark in the 2002 season. The Gators earned their first of four NCAA bids under Johns in 2001 and posted a 37-28 record in that campaign.
Johns' success in her first stint as a head coach can be attributed to her previous experience as an assistant coach. Johns served as assistant coach at Alabama for five seasons from 1996 to 2000. In 2000, she was the Crimson Tide's top assistant and helped Alabama finish sixth at the 2000 Women's College World Series. Also, during her tenure at Alabama, the Tide captured the 1998 SEC Tournament title and made their first NCAA Regional appearance in 1999.
Johns' responsibilities at Alabama included coaching the pitchers and catchers, recruiting, academic and strength and conditioning liaison, and overall operations. Johns' most remarkable achievement at Alabama is the improvement she produced in the pitching staff. In 1997, the staff was 29-29 with a 2.65 ERA, but by 2000, the staff had improved to a 66-14 record with a 1.70 ERA and 21 shutouts.
Johns was a two-time first-team All-American catcher at South Carolina and graduated in 1989 with a degree in health and fitness. She also earned a master's degree in education in 1991. Johns began her collegiate coaching career as a student assistant for the 1989 Gamecock Women's College World Series team, and served as a graduate assistant coach in 1990 while pursuing her graduate degree. Upon earning her master's, Johns spent two years as an athletic academic counselor at South Carolina prior to returning to the coaching ranks as an assistant in 1994.
In addition to capturing All-America honors in 1987 and 1988 at South Carolina, Johns was a three-time first-team All-South Region selection (1986, 1987 and 1988). Following her standout collegiate career, Johns took her talents to the international level and led her teams to gold medals in the International Softball Federation World Championships and United States Olympic Festivals.
As a member of the U.S. National team, she won medals at the 1990 and 1994 ISF World Championships, the 1994 South Pacific Classic and the 1995 Pan American Games. Johns led her team to gold medals at the U.S. Olympic Festival in both 1989 and 1990. She returned to the festival in 1994 and 1995, and both times her team claimed the bronze medal. Johns did not stop playing until she joined the Alabama staff in 1996 (all her playing experiences had been doubled with her coaching duties at South Carolina). Johns spent 1994-95 and 1995-96 conducting clinics and private lessons throughout South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. She is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and the National Baseball Coaches Association. Prior to coaching at Florida, she served as the assistant coaches' representative to the NFCA executive board.
Karen Johns, formerly Karen Sanchelli, is married to former Alabama All-SEC defensive back and former West Alabama head football coach, Bobby Johns. Bobby was a two-time first-team All-American and a three-time All-SECperformer. The couple has a nine-year-old daughter, Kaci Michelle.
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