 | Position:
Associate Head Coach
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Charita Johnson begins her eighth season overall as a member of the Wildcat volleyball staff and her fourth as the associate head coach. Involved in all coaching aspects of the team, her primary responsibility for the Wildcats is with the middle blockers.
Over the last six seasons, Johnson has coached at least one Wildcat middle blocker to All-Pac-10 honors. Former walk-on Marisa DaLee thrived in the middle under the guidance of Johnson earning all-conference honors in 1998, 1999 and 2000, the first three consecutive all-conference honors by an Arizona player, and 1999 AVCA All-District VIII and 2000 All-Pacific region honors, as well. DaLee wrapped up her career in 2000 as the all-time school leader in hitting percentage, while also leading the NCAA in hitting percentage. Johnson led Keisha Johnson Demps to All-Pac-10 honors in 1998 and Erin Aldrich in 1997. Former Wildcat middle blocker Stefani Saragosa was named honorable mention All-Pac-10 following the 2001 season and current sophomore Bre Ladd was tabbed with honorable mention honors in 2002, as well as All-Pac-10 Freshman recognition.
Off the court, she handles a number of administrative duties for the program, including serving as the Wildcats' recruiting coordinator and camp director. She played an instrumental part in helping Arizona land the top-ranked recruiting class in 2002 and also played a huge role in this season's highly touted freshman class.
Along with her collegiate coaching experience, Johnson served as an assistant coach for the USA Junior National team that qualified for the 2001 World Championships in Mexico. As a member of the Junior National staff she coached future Wildcats Jennifer Abernathy, Bre Ladd and Kim Glass at the Women's Junior World Championships in Santo Domingo and Santiago, Dominican Republic in 2001.
One of the greatest players in Arizona volleyball history, Johnson led the Cats to their first two Sweet Sixteen appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1993 and `94. She started 112 matches in her UA career, the third-most for any Arizona player in the last 13 years. She also holds Arizona solo block records for a career (117) and a single match (8). Her 1,134 career kills puts her seventh in the Wildcat record book. Johnson posted four triple-doubles in her career, second-most of any Arizona player.
As a junior in 1993, Johnson became the first Arizona player to record 300 kills, 300 digs and 100 blocks in a single season. The following year, Johnson earned second-team All-West Region honors and was named to the Pac-10 all-conference squad. She earned conference player-of-the-week honors that season when she posted 19 blocks in seven games, helping the Cats sweep Oregon and Oregon State on the road.
Johnson was a member of the 1993 and `94 United States Olympic Festival volleyball teams. She also played professionally in France in 1995.
Currently working towards her PhD in education administration, Johnson earned her B.A. in political science from the University of Arizona in 1994. She received her Master's in language, reading and culture from UA in 1995, is fluent in French and is a certified teacher. Johnson is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She was born March 10, 1972, in Cleveland, Ohio, and is the proud parent of her dog BayBee.
