Lisa Johnson

• Head Coach, Nebraska (2019-present)
• Head Coach, Idaho (2007-19, 12 seasons)
• Head Coach, Idaho Men’s Golf (2007-08, 1 season)
• Head Coach, Boise State Women’s Golf (2002-07, 5 1/2 seasons)
• Graduate Assistant, Idaho Men’s & Women’s Golf (2000-01, 1 1/2 seasons)

Honors & Awards

• WAC Coach of the Year (2010, 2012)
• NCAA Regional Teams (2010, 2016, 2018, 2021)
• Big Sky Conference Team Champions (2016, 2018)
• Big Ten Conference Runner-Up (2021)
• One Individual NCAA Championship Appearance (2015)
• Six Individual NCAA Regional Appearances (2009, 2011 (2), 2012, 2015, 2019)
• Six Individual Conference Champions (2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021)
• 31 All-Conference Golfers
• 55 WGCA Scholar All-America Awards
• No. 1 NGCA All-Scholar Team GPA Award (3.78, 2009)

An established coach with a track record of success in leading her golfers to NCAA Regional competition and conference championships, Lisa Johnson was named the head coach of the Nebraska women’s golf program, June 17, 2019.

Johnson, who came to Nebraska after serving as the head coach at the University of Idaho (2007-19), became just the fourth head coach in the 46-year history of the Husker women’s golf program.

Johnson, whose hiring followed the retirement of Robin Krapfl after 32 seasons guiding the Husker program, said her mission was to bring the highest level of achievement to Nebraska golfers both on and off the course by building on her own experiences and Nebraska’s tradition of success.

“I am incredibly thankful and excited for the opportunity to lead Nebraska women’s golf,” Johnson said. “It is an honor to take over for Coach Robin Krapfl. She left a terrific legacy.”

Although her first season at Nebraska ended abruptly because of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March of 2020, Johnson’s second season proved her abilities as a coach and program builder.

Johnson guided the Huskers to their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2008 on the heels of the best conference tournament (tie-2nd) finish by a Nebraska women’s golf team since 1984. She coached Kate Smith to Nebraska’s first All-America award since 2003, while guiding Smith to Nebraska’s first Big Ten Conference individual title.

She also helped Smith become the first Husker in history to earn invitations to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Arnold Palmer Cup Team, quickly increasing the exposure and prominence of Nebraska women’s golf.

Johnson also established international connections, bringing Slovakian (Michaela Vavrova), Colombian (Andrea Velez), German (Lena Hassert) and Japanese (Miu Takahashi)  golfers to Lincoln in her first two recruiting classes as Nebraska’s head coach.

Johnson’s history-making achievements in less than 24 months at Nebraska, followed an impressive run of success at Idaho. Not only did she guide Idaho to 2016 and 2018 Big Sky Conference team titles, Johnson led the Vandals to three NCAA Regional appearances during her time in Moscow, including trips in 2010, 2016 and 2018. Her teams also finished second in the conference five more times, including 2009, 2012, 2014 (WAC) and 2017 and 2019 (Big Sky). 

Johnson was a two-time WAC Coach of the Year (2010, 2012). She earned her PGA Class A Professional status in 2016.

In 2020, Johnson helped Kate Smith to Nebraska’s first individual All-Big Ten award since 2012. Smith, who set a school record with a 72.18 stroke average, also claimed the Big Ten’s Mary Fossum Award, which is presented to the golfer with best stroke average relative to par in the league.

Smith was on her way to earning an NCAA Regional bid before the coronavirus outbreak ended the 2019-20 season across all NCAA sports. Smith received an additional year of eligibility and returned for an historic senior season in 2021.

Smith is the latest in a long line of golfers coached by Johnson who have enjoyed outstanding individual success. Johnson tutored two-time All-American Kayla Mortellaro to three WAC Player-of-the-Year honors and a WAC Freshman-of-the-Year award. Mortellaro, who earned individual NCAA Regional bids in 2009, 2011 and 2012, and competed as a member of Idaho’s 2010 NCAA Regional team, went on to earn her LPGA card in 2013.

In 2019, Idaho senior Sophie Hausmann joined Mortellaro in becoming a three-time individual NCAA Regional participant. Hausmann, a two-time Big Sky Player of the Year (2018, 2019) and a four-time first-team All-Big Sky selection, carried a 72.2 stroke average as a senior. The native of Nottuln, Germany, competed in the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open and played in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2019. 

Hausmann and Mortellaro were joined as Vandal NCAA Regional participants by Teo Poplawski (2011) and Leilanie Kim (2015). Kim went on to advance to the final stage as an individual at the 2015 NCAA Championship.

Hausmann and Mortellaro headline a list of 29 all-conference golfers coached by Johnson in her Idaho career. Hausmann (Big Sky) and Mortellaro (WAC) were both four-time first-team all-conference picks. In 2019, Hausmann was joined on the Big Sky first team by sophomore teammate Valeria Patino, while Michelle Kim was named to the second team and freshman Vicky Tsai was honorable mention. Michelle Kim was also a two-time first-team All-Big Sky selection (2016, 2017) during her career, which recognizes the top five players in the conference. She added a third-team award in 2018.

Kim was one of three Idaho golfers to earn WGCA All-America Scholar recognition in 2018 - her second consecutive award. Overall, Idaho golfers earned 37 WGCA Scholastic All-America awards during Johnson’s time in Moscow, while her Vandals earned 51 academic all-conference awards.

“I am committed to developing players and providing a comprehensive student-athlete experience, which includes competing at a high level and reaching the postseason,” Johnson said. “With Nebraska’s rich tradition of excellence and strong community support, I believe we will achieve those goals.”

Success in the classroom for her golfers has always gone hand-in-hand with success on the course. Johnson, who was the Gonzaga Female Student-Athlete of the Year during her career as a collegiate golfer, led her Idaho teams to annual recognition for its academic success. The Vandal women’s golf program was honored each of her final five seasons with NCAA Public Recognition Awards for its multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores.

Dating back to 2007, every Idaho women’s golfer who exhausted her eligibility at Idaho earned her degree. In 2009, Johnson’s Vandals were honored for posting the No. 1 team grade-point average (3.78) in the NCAA. Idaho’s 2016 team added a 3.68 GPA to rank No. 23 in the country.  

Johnson did more than just build the Idaho program on the course and in the classroom, she assisted in all phases of fundraising, design and construction of the Jess and Kathleen Hall Performance Golf Center at the University of Idaho Golf Course, which was dedicated in 2016.

During Johnson’s first season at Idaho in 2007-08, she was also the head men’s golf coach. She went to Moscow after spending five-and-a-half seasons as the head women’s golf coach at Boise State (January 2002-May 2007).

Johnson was a West Coast Conference All-Academic selection and was also the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. As a Bulldog golfer, she won three individual tournament titles and was an All-West Coast Conference selection. Johnson graduated cum laude from Gonzaga in 2000, before earning her master’s degree from the University of Idaho in 2002.

While earning her master’s degree, Johnson served as a graduate assistant for both the Vandal men’s and women’s golf programs. The 2001 Idaho women’s team won the Big West Conference title and advanced to NCAA Regional competition, while featuring the Big West Player of the Year.

She was married in February 2008 to John Johnson. The couple has twin children, Ellie and Cooper.