Tessa Johnston is entering her first year as an assistant women's basketball coach at Emory & Henry College. Johnston will assist in all the day-to-day operations of the program with an emphasis on coaching the backcourt and recruiting.

Johnston returns to Emory after spending the past two years at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. During her two years on legendary head coach Fred Richter’s staff, the Bulldogs posted a 32-5 record, winning a pair of MAC Freedom Championships and advancing to the 2020 NCAA Division III Tournament.

Johnston coached Averi Jordan to back-to-back WBCA Honorable Mention All-America recognitions as well as D3hoops.com All-America Third Team, CoSIDA Academic All-America® Third Team, MAC Freedom Player of the Year and D3hoops.com Region Co-Player of the Year accolades in 2021. The Bulldogs also had the MAC Freedom Rookie of the Year in 2021 and the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. For their success, Richter was named the league coach of the year in 2021.

A four-year letterwinner for the Wasps from 2015-19, Johnston helped lead the team to an 83-27 record with three trips to the ODAC Tournament Semifinals and a berth in the ODAC Championship game and the NCAA Division III Second Round in 2018. She scored 718 points across 105 games, starting all 26 her senior year. She made 106 three-point field goals, had 159 rebounds, 123 assists and 98 steals during her career.

Johnston graduated cum laude from Emory & Henry in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sport management. She completed a Master of Education in academic leadership and reform in 2021. A native of High Point, North Carolina, Johnston now resides in Abingdon.

-7/19/2021