One of college gymnastics’ most accomplished names is kicking off her coaching career, as Southern Connecticut added former LSU Tiger Kiya Johnson to its coaching staff Monday.
Johnson comes to New Haven after competing five seasons for the Tigers. During her time in Baton Rouge, she became a critical contributor to the team, earning multiple accolades from SEC Freshman of the Year to SEC Specialist of the Year. She was also an AAI Award nominee in 2023, a season that was cut short after she tore her Achilles in the second meet of the season. She notched 10.0s on vault, beam, and floor and earned 13 career All-America honors, the eighth-most in LSU program history.
Johnson joins an SCSU team led by interim head coach Jerry Nelson. Nelson, a former longtime coach of the Owls who retired for the first time after the 2019 season, took over this offseason after Byron Knox was dismissed from his position following allegations of mistreatment by former athletes.
Though the team has yet to announce which events Johnson will coach, it’s likely floor will be among her responsibilities, as it was one of her specialties as an athlete. She won the national floor title in 2021 and again in 2024 and had a total of five 10.0s on the event. The Owls were ranked No. 65 on floor last season, so having Johnson’s SEC background could be a big help in boosting their ranking in 2025.
Johnson graduated from LSU in August 2024 with a Master’s of Liberal Arts degree after earning an undergraduate degree in Sport Administration. Per her LinkedIn, after graduation, she began working for ESPN as a production assistant in Bristol, Connecticut.
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Article by Savanna Wellman
