Tiara Johnson is in her third season as associate head coach, returning to the Bonnies in April 2023.
Johnson returned to St. Bonaventure after a seven-year stint under Coach Crowley at Providence College. The Bonaventure alum brings over a decade of coaching experience to the program.
“Bringing Tiara back was one of my top priorities,” Crowley said. “She knows the campus and she knows me, but the two important things are is that she is really good at what she does and she has a great passion for St. Bonaventure. She is an incredible example of everything that has been right about our program and what is right about St. Bonaventure.”
Prior to joining the Friars staff in 2016, Johnson spent six seasons on staff with the Bonnies from 2010-16, serving as the director of basketball operations from 2010-13 and an assistant coach from 2013-16.
During her first stint with the Bonnies, Johnson helped the Brown and White to a 125-69 record, including four seasons with 20 or more wins, four postseason appearances and one Atlantic 10 regular season title.
Johnson helped guide the Bonnies to four postseason appearances, advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2012 and 2016 as well as two WNIT appearances in 2011 and 2014. The Bonnies run to the Sweet 16 in 2012 marked the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 2016, St. Bonaventure posted a 24-8 overall record, earning an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament. The Bonnies advanced to the second round as the No. 10 seed, defeating seventh-seeded Oklahoma State, 65-54, in the First Round. The Bonnies fell to eventual Final Four participant Oregon State in the Second Round.
A Kansas City, Mo. native, Johnson graduated from St. Bonaventure after three seasons with the Bonnies as a student-athlete. As a junior, Johnson started 28 contests and averaged 5.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Johnson suffered a knee injury that hindered her senior year, but she returned in 2009-10 as a redshirt senior, appearing in 19 games and starting three when she averaged 8.4 minutes per game and shot 36.8 percent from the floor. Johnson was a member of the 2009 and 2010 WNIT teams.
She began her college at North Central Missouri State, playing two seasons with the Lady Pirates before transferring to SBU.
