The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Soccer
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Jaimel Johnson recently completed her third season as an assistant coach for the Texas soccer program. She joined the Longhorn staff in January 2012 after serving as the goalkeepers coach at the University of Iowa for two seasons.
During her time at Texas, Johnson has mentored goalkeepers that have contributed to 26 total shutouts while posting a 31-24-8 overall record. Included among those matches are a pair of Big 12 semifinal berths (2012 & 2014) and an NCAA Tournament bid in 2014.
Johnson's efforts have helped develop Abby Smith into one of the top collegiate goalkeepers in the nation as the Plano, Texas, netminder has earned a pair of National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA)/Continental Tire All-Central Region selections (2013 & 2014) and three consecutive All-Big 12 Conference nods (2012, 2013 & 2014). Smith currently rates among the Texas career goalkeeping top five in shutouts (second - 24), lowest goals-against-average (second - 0.80), wins (tied for third - 28), saves (fifth - 204) and minutes played (fifth - 5,047).
Under Johnson’s tutelage, Smith continued her impressive play between the pipes as a junior in 2014 while helping Texas to an 11-8-4 overall mark, a Big 12 Championship semifinal berth and back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. The first-team All-Big 12 Conference inclusion equaled Dianna Pfenninger’s UT single-season record for shutouts with nine, including high-profile blankings of No. 6 Texas Tech (W, 1-0), No. 9 West Virginia (T, 0-0, 2OT – Big 12 semifinals), No. 25 Arkansas (T, 0-0, 2OT) and Rice (W, 3-0 – NCAA First Round), registered a 0.92 GAA (sixth all-time in UT history) and led the Big 12 with 98 saves. Senior goalkeeper Ava Vogel also contributed a shutout by starting in place of an injured Smith to blank UALR (2-0). As a team, Texas posted 10 shutouts in 2014, coming within one of tying the all-time program single-season mark established back in 2008 (11).
The 2013 season proved to be one of the best defensive campaigns in the history of Texas soccer as UT allowed just 16 goals over 20 matches, the second-fewest in a single season in program history. Smith registered eight solo shutouts between the pipes, while her 0.78 goals-against-average proved to be the third lowest all-time by a Longhorn netminder. As a result, UT managed a 12-6-2 overall record and registered the first unbeaten home mark (9-0-1) since going 6-0-4 back in 2008. The 12 total victories also marked the most by a Texas soccer team since a 13-win campaign in 2008.
During her initial campaign on the Forty Acres, Johnson helped guide freshman Smith to second-team All-Big 12 Conference honors as well as a unanimous selection to the league’s all-newcomer squad. Under Johnson’s watch, Smith established the Texas freshman record for lowest goals-against average at 0.63, besting Alex Gagarin’s 0.89 GAA in 2001. Smith also tied Jaime Strong’s 1994 rookie mark for most shutouts (seven).
Smith made her Longhorn debut against Fresno State on Sept. 14, 2012, after returning from the Under-20 U.S. Women’s National Team and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup championship, and became the first UT freshman to record a shutout in her debut since Dianna Pfenninger against SMU on Aug. 26, 2005. She recorded a career-high eight saves against Texas Tech, becoming the first UT goalie with eight stops in a Big 12 contest since Pfenninger tallied eight against Oklahoma on Oct. 17, 2008. During the year, Smith also picked up a pair of league weekly honors, receiving the Oct. 5 defensive player of the week nod and the Sept. 25 newcomer of the week award.
While at Iowa, Johnson helped the 2011 Hawkeyes to a 13-4-3 record, a five-win improvement from the 2010 squad. During the 2011 campaign, goalkeepers Emily Moran, Caitlin Schnorbach and Kiley Beck posted eight shutouts and a 0.82 goals-against average, allowing only 17 goals during the season. Moran, a senior, logged all but 78:10 of the 1868:56 minutes, was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team and ended her career as the program’s all-time leader in wins.
During Johnson’s first year at Iowa, the Hawkeyes went 8-9-3. Her goalkeepers held opponents to 1.34 goals per game and allowed only 28 total scores as Moran and Kali Feiereisel combined to post seven shutouts. Moran’s 99 saves ranked sixth on the Hawkeye single-season chart.
Prior to her coaching career, Johnson was a four-year goalkeeper (2005-08) under Angela Kelly at the University of Tennessee. She finished her career with 60 matches started, 253 saves, a .780 save percentage, 20 shutouts and a 31-20-8 record.
She was an NSCAA/adidas All-America, NSCAA first-team All-Southeast Region and first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection in 2007 after making a program-best 111 saves and posting a 0.88 goals-against average, the third-best mark in Lady Vol history.
Before her senior campaign, Johnson was named to the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List in 2008. She was also a nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award for the 2008-09 school year.
Johnson, a two-time team captain, led the Lady Vols to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and holds the Tennessee record for saves in an NCAA Tournament contest after stopping 12 at Portland on Nov. 12, 2006. She also helped the Lady Vols claim two SEC Tournament titles in 2005 and 2008. Johnson, a second-team all-league honoree in 2008, was named the most valuable player of the SEC Tournament as a senior. She is the only Tennessee player to ever be named the event’s MVP.
Also excelling in the classroom, Johnson was a four-year member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was named to the SEC All-Academic Team from 2006-08 in addition to the SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll for the 2005-06 campaign. In 2007, Johnson was an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District IV selection. A year later, she was an NSCAA/adidas All-South Region Scholar.
Johnson possesses years of international experience as a member of the U.S. National Team pool in 2003 (U-17), 2006 (U-19) and 2008 (U-23).
The Boston Breakers selected Johnson in the inaugural WPS draft in 2009 and she made the Chicago Red Stars’ roster for the 2009 season. She was one of seven players nominated for the WPS’ Hint Water Sportswoman of the Year Award.
Johnson graduated from Tennessee in 2009, majoring in sport management with a minor in business.
