Maya Johnson Named Softball Assistant Coach

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont Softball head coach Laura Matthews announced Friday legendary pitcher Maya Johnson has been named assistant coach for Bruin program.
 
Johnson joins Emlyn Knerem and Anna Shellnut on Matthews' coaching staff for 2026-27.
 
One of the most decorate student-athletes in Belmont and Missouri Valley Conference history, Johnson was named 2026 National Pitcher of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and Softball America, as well as garnering First Team All-America honors from the NFCA, Softball America and D1Softball.
 
Johnson became the first Belmont student-athlete ever to earn national First Team All-America honors in consecutive seasons.
 
A native of Columbia Station, Ohio, Johnson led Belmont to consecutive Missouri Valley Conference championships and NCAA Tournament bids.
 
Behind the left-handed pitcher, Belmont joined Grand Canyon and South Florida as one of only three programs outside the major conferences to win NCAA Tournament softball games each of the last two seasons.
 
The pitching ace was also named 2026 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Female Amateur Athlete of the Year, and finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and the Honda Sport Award for softball.
 
In 2026, she ranked among national leaders in virtually every statistical category - leading the nation in eight categories - including strikeouts (397), strikeouts per seven innings (12.9), strikeout-to-walk ratio (11.03), earned run average (0.78), WHIP (0.68), complete games (31), and shutouts (15).
 
Johnson led Belmont to transformational victories over Mississippi State and Georgia this past season as the Bruins also won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title.
 
Belmont earned National Top 25 poll votes and was ranked No. 1 nationally in mid-major polls from Softball America and D1Softball the majority of the season.
 
Her 1,186 career strikeouts led all active players in NCAA softball.
 
Johnson was selected No. 3 overall by the Oklahoma City Spark in the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) College Draft.
 
Johnson, who earned her bachelor's degree with honors in nursing, was named to the 2025-26 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America® Division I Softball Team.
 
Johnson has emerged as a national inspiration, having risen to the top of college softball battling through an autoimmune condition called lupus.
 
She has become an advocate and national spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America, serving as a keynote speaker at the End Lupus Now walk in Nashville this past fall.
 
Johnson is a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year.