SAINT PETER, Minn. - Lauren Johnson has been hired as head coach of the Gustavus Adolphus College women's soccer program, Athletics Director Tom Brown announced Tuesday. Johnson, a 2021 Gustavus graduate and four-year starter for the Gusties, returns to the program after serving as an assistant coach at UW-La Crosse last year and as an assistant at Wartburg for two seasons.
"Lauren's work over the past three seasons as an assistant coach has been outstanding, particularly in how she's helped elevate her teams on the national stage," said Brown. "Her effectiveness as a recruiter was especially evident during the interview process and really set her apart. We're thrilled to welcome Lauren back to Gustavus and are excited about the vision and leadership she'll bring to the women's soccer program."
As an assistant coach at UW-La Crosse, Johnson helped lead the Eagles to both the WIAC regular season and playoff championships with a 16-4-2 overall record and an appearance at the NCAA Championships. Johnson coached seven All-Conference honorees, four who earned All-Region, and two All-America selections, who were also CSC Academic All-Americans. Johnson also coached the 2024 WIAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.
Prior to UW-La Crosse, Johnson was an assistant coach at Wartburg for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. During those two seasons, Johnson and the Knights achieved a 22-14-3 overall record and hosted a regional round of the 2022 NCAA tournament. She coached the program's first All-America First Team honoree in 2022 as well as four All-Region and nine All-Conference selections. Johnson has been a summer camp coach at Gustavus since 2018 and has high school and youth coaching experience at both East Ridge and Mahtomedi.
"I am very excited to return to Gustavus and lead the women's soccer program," said Johnson. "Thank you to Tom Brown and the search committee for this opportunity and their trust in my vision. I am grateful for both experiences at UWL and Wartburg as an assistant coach, and specifically want to thank Jason Murphy and Emily Ryan for their mentorship.
"Being a former Gustie, this program means so much to me and I am thrilled to be part of the Gustavus community again. Laura Burnett-Kurie has been an influential person and coach in my life, and I look forward to building off the strong foundation and culture of the Gustavus women's soccer program. Go Gusties!"
As a player at Gustavus, Johnson started in all 63 career games with six goals and six assists as a midfielder before the 2020 pandemic cut her collegiate career short. She earned MIAC All-Conference honorable mention in 2018 and 2019. Johnson was also a starter for the Fire 98 WPSL semi-professional team in 2019.
Johnson becomes the sixth head coach in the 42-year history of Gustavus women's soccer. Gustavus has an all-time record of 363-308-70 with five MIAC regular season championships, one playoff title, and seven NCAA tournament appearances.