North Carolina State University Athletics
Colleen Johnson Promoted to Associate Head Coach
10/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State gymnastics head coach Mark Stevenson announced on Wednesday the promotion of Colleen Johnson to associate head coach. Johnson is in her 10th season overall with the Wolfpack and in the fifth season of her second stint with the team.
“It’s really an honor to have been promoted,” Johnson said. “It’s exciting for me to be a part of this athletic department at NC State and everything that we have going on here. It truly is a special place. Mark [Stevenson] gave me my first coaching opportunity back in 1999 and I was elated when he gave me this opportunity to become associate head coach.”
Johnson is primarily responsible for coaching the squad on the balance beam, as well as choreography on the floor exercise. Johnson also plays a vital role in the Wolfpack recruiting efforts. In addition, she assists with the program’s budget and the administrative duties of the squad, including overseeing the marketing and public relations aspects and initiating community service efforts.
“I’m very excited about Colleen becoming the associate head coach for NC State gymnastics,” Stevenson said. “She is an outstanding person and has done a lot of the day-to-day work that is necessary for the program to compete at a high level. She has done a tremendous job with our beam team, as she has helped us become a top-25 program in the event.”
A three-time Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year, Johnson has coached 26 All-EAGL selections in her nine previous seasons with the Pack, including the squad’s first EAGL Champion on beam, Jenny Sommer in 2000.
Last season, Johnson guided the Wolfpack to 48.955 Regional Qualifying Score on the balance beam, which ranked 23rd in the country. The Pack recorded a season-best score of 49.350 on the balance beam in a tri-meet against then-No. 8 Michigan, Towson and UNC-Chapel Hill, which ranks seventh all-time. Throughout the 2014 season, the squad posted 33 scores of 9.800 or higher on the balance beam, including a season best 9.925 from Hannah Fallanca against UNC-Chapel Hill.
Johnson was part of the NC State gymnastics program from 2000-04, before spending six seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona from 2005-10. She returned to Raleigh prior to the 2011 campaign.
Under Johnson’s guidance, three members of Arizona’s 2007 team advanced to the NCAA Championships, including two members of the squad in the all-around, as well as a beam specialist. In addition, the Wildcats posted three of the top-four scores in program history on the balance beam in her time there. Johnson was also influential in spearheading the community service efforts for team to win the Director’s Cup for Community Service each year with the Wildcats.
As a gymnast, Johnson has collected many different accolades. She was a member of the Canadian National Gymnastics team from 1988 to 1991, including being a part of the bronze medal winning team at the 1991 Pan American games in Cuba.
In her collegiate career at Florida, Johnson earned All-American status on bars in 1992. She competed in the all-around at four consecutive NCAA Championships and finished in fifth place in the All-Around at the 1994 SEC Championships.
Johnson graduated from the University of Florida in 1996 with a degree in public relations.
Johnson resides in Raleigh with former Wolfpack All-American Mike Lombardo (wrestling) and they are the proud parents of one daughter, Gianna.
