Courtesy of Louisville Athletics
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville softball coach Sandy Pearsall has announced that Stacy May-Johnson will join her staff as an assistant coach.
“Stacy was here as a volunteer assistant five years ago and we are excited to have her back on our staff,” said Pearsall. “She brings a great deal of knowledge and has a strong background on the collegiate, professional and national levels. Her love of the game comes through in everything she does.”
May-Johnson, who was a volunteer assistant at UofL from 2008-10 returns to Louisville after a four-year stint at her alma mater, the University of Iowa. May-Johnson was an assistant at Iowa from 2011-14, and during that time, helped guide the Hawkeyes to 100 wins and a runner-up finish in the Big Ten in 2012.
“Louisville has a great softball program and I am excited to come back and be part of it again,” said May-Johnson. “I love the championship attitude of Louisville athletics, I think it fits well with my ideas and philosophies, and I look forward to working with Sandy Pearsall and the rest of her staff as we continue to add to the success of the program.”
May-Johnson boasts an impressive resume with player of the year honors on both the professional and national levels. She spent five years playing for the National Pro Fastpitch League’s Chicago Bandits from 2006-10 before going on to compete for the USA Softball National Team in 2011 and 2012.
The Chicago Bandits selected May-Johnson with their first overall pick (fourth pick, second round) in the 2006 NPF draft and she went on to become one of the most decorated players in league history. The shortstop/third baseman was named league rookie of the year in 2006 and followed with league player of the year honors in 2008 and 2010.
The three-time NPF All-Star (2006, 2008 and 2010) helped lead the Bandits to the 2008 league championship. After announcing her retirement in 2010, she returned for the Bandits’ playoff run in 2011 and helped the team to its second NPF championship. Chicago retired May-Johnson’s number and she is currently ranked in the top five on the NPF’s list for doubles and home runs.
May-Johnson came out of retirement in 2011 when she was selected for the USA Softball National Team. In her rookie season, she was named 2011 USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year after leading the team to gold medals at the World Cup of Softball VII in Oklahoma City and the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. She was selected the Defensive Most Valuable Player in the USA’s second-place finish in the 2011 Canada Cup. During her 2011 Player of the Year campaign, she started 27 of 28 games, finishing with a .418 batting average and ranking first on the team in hits and third in batting average. She also had team-highs in runs (26) and RBI (30).
In 2012, May-Johnson helped the USA Softball Team to the gold medal at the 2012 World Cup of Softball. May-Johnson started 5-of-6 games for Team USA, posting a .357 (5-of-14) batting average with three runs, two RBIs and two walks. The Americans posted a perfect 6-0 record during the competition, outscoring their opponents 41-3, in the five day event.
May-Johnson (formerly Stacy May), was a four-year letterwinner at Iowa from 2003-06. The three-time NFCA All-Mideast Region and All-Big Ten selection was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2003 while leading Iowa to the regular season and conference tournament championship. Her name still appears in 11 different offensive school record lists at Iowa.
May-Johnson earned both her Bachelor of Arts in accounting and Bachelor of Science in physics from Iowa in 2007. She served as a volunteer assistant at Louisville while pursuing her Master’s of science in physics. During her time at Louisville, the Cardinals made two NCAA appearances and posted back-to-back 40-win seasons and going 48-11 in 2009 and 41-19 in 2010. Prior to her time at Louisville, she was a student assistant at Iowa in 2007.
