Knoxville, TN - In her third year as head coach of the Johnson University softball team, Dayna Carter has been named the 2024 Appalachian Athletic Conference Softball Coach of the Year. This accolade comes as the softball program at Johnson University celebrates only its fourth year of existence. Carter is the first coach to win Coach of the Year at Johnson in the AAC.
The team had a successful season, finishing with a record of 24-11 which represents the programs winningness season in its short history. 24 wins was enough to earn a second place regularly season finish which is not only softball's highest finish but also the highest regular season finish of any Royals team since Johnson joined the AAC in 2021. The Royals got off to a rough start to open the season but all that was forgotten after the team rattled off 19 straight victories.
"Its an honor to be here right now," Said Head Coach Dayna Carter. "Our girls are fighters and they have just kept fighting all the way. This award is more about them than it is about me. This league is really good with a lot great coaches. I am honor to be named and I am so excited about what is happening in Athletics at Johnson."
Carter joined the Johnson staff as the Head Softball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director in 2021 and has building a solid foundation since that point. "Her personallity is one where players want to play for her," said Athletic Director Brandon Perry. "I knew from day one that she was going to get us where we wanted to be in the softball program because of her ablity to get great players. They want to be here and they love playing for her. She has built this attractive culture that just keeps bringing in more an more great players and great people. The great thing about today is that I know it is only the beginning of what Dayna is going to build here at Johnson."
Overall, it has been a successful season for the Johnson University softball team under the leadership of Coach Dayna Carter, and her recognition as the AAC Softball Coach of the Year is well deserved. But the team is not done as now they turn their sites to the conference tournament. The team captured their first win today and hope to get past the #3 seed Tennessee Wesleyan today at 3pm.
