Special to the Item

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women’s basketball has added Kelsey Johnson as its graduate manager for the upcoming 2021-22 season, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin announced Wednesday.

“I am truly excited to welcome Kelsey to Ole Miss,” McPhee-McCuin said. “She will have a great future in this business, and I am grateful that I could be a part of her journey. Kelsey is a tireless worker, she studies the game and will be a great resource for our student-athletes. I feel confident that her presence will help us reach our goals on and off the court this upcoming season.”

Johnson spent the previous two seasons as a graduate assistant at UT Martin, which went a combined 44-16 and earned two WNIT berths while she was on staff.

Before UT Martin, Johnson spent two seasons at Northwestern Ohio, where she was an assistant coach and junior varsity head coach during the 2018-19 season.  She also served as a graduate assistant at UNOH during the 2017-18 campaign.

While on staff at UNOH, she contributed to the development of Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference standout Kierra Billingsley, who earned First-Team All-Defense along with Second-Team All-Conference honors while Emily Patton earned second team honors along with being named WHAC Newcomer of the Year. She also assisted in the maturation of forward Fataya Larry, who went on to rank seventh nationally in rebounding en route to Second-Team All-Conference and All-Defensive team honors.

Prior to her time at Northwestern Ohio, she was an assistant coach at her alma mater Dean College during the 2016-17 season following a brief stay as an assistant coach at Old Rochester Regional High School in 2015-16.

A native of East Freetown, Massachusetts, Johnson played collegiately at Dean College from 2011-13 before suffering a career-ending injury. Prior to her injury, she averaged 10.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game as a freshman while increasing her totals to 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a sophomore. She prepped at Old Rochester Regional High School, where she was a prep standout, ranking as the top scorer in the area as a sophomore while garnering four conference and regional honors.

Johnson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with Magna Cum Laude honors in 2016 from Bridgewater State University. She also received an associated degree at Dean College in 2013. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications at Ole Miss.

Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on Twitter at @YolettMcCuin