Neil Johnson is in charge for his 12th year as head coach of the Gwynedd Mercy University Women’s Soccer Program. In his previous 11 seasons, Johnson led the Griffins into the CSAC playoffs 10 times. His Colonial States Athletic Conference win-loss-tie record during the past 11 seasons is 74-31-12 reaching the CSAC Finals in 2008, 2012, and 2015 and semifinals in 2009, 2014, and 2016. Now, Johnson will lead the Griffins into the Atlantic East Conference in 2018.
The 2015 season saw his team go 12-4-3, the most wins under his belt as well as the #2 playoff seed and a conference championship game appearance.
In seven seasons (2004 to 2010) at nearby North Penn High School, Johnson was the girls’ varsity head coach and captured two division championships in 2006 and 2007. Johnson guided the team to the district playoffs in all seven seasons, owning a career 96-51-8 record, which includes a district runner-up finish and state semifinalist in 2007, the first in school history.
At the club level, Johnson coaches at PA Rush with the U14 girls ‘Rush’ team. In his first year with the PA Rush team, he coached them to their first State Cup final and won. Prior to PA Rush, Johnson coached at Montgomery United, a very successful premier team with 14 players moving on to play at the collegiate level, that won the State Cup in 2007, and were State Cup Finalists in 2013 and 2008, and State Cup Semi-finalists four times (2006, 2010, 2012, 2013).
Johnson coached at the Olympic Developmental Program level for EPYSA, coaching at the girls U14 and U16 age groups where many of the players went on to play at the Division I, II and III levels.
Johnson's playing experience is vast: growing up as a kid in England, he played for Bransholme High School (Hull, England), his City School boys team, his County (or State equivalent) School boys team, and several top youth and men's teams in the Hull area before attending college at Lock Haven University.
At LHU, he was a key member of the 1980 NCAA Division II Championship Team. In the NCAA Championship game, Johnson sent through the 35 yard pass in the second overtime period that led to the game winning goal versus Florida International University. On July 7, 2015 Johnson and the 1980 NCAA Division II Championship Team were inducted into the Lock Haven Sports Hall of Fame. After graduating from LHU, Johnson returned to England and played for a semi-professional soccer team in the English Northern Premier League.
Johnson's coaching experience spans well over 25 years.
Johnson graduated from Lock Haven in 1983 with a B.S. in Biology-Chemistry.
He resides in North Wales with his wife Aleta, who he met at LHU over 33 years ago. The Johnson's have two adult children: Laura, a 2007 graduate from Montclair State University, and Stuart, a 2010 graduate from Widener University.
|
Overall |
|
Conference |
|
|
| Year |
W |
L |
T |
|
W |
L |
T |
|
Notes |
| 2007 |
4 |
11 |
4 |
|
4 |
4 |
2 |
|
PAC Tournament |
| 2008 |
11 |
10 |
0 |
|
8 |
2 |
0 |
|
CSAC Finalists |
| 2009 |
10 |
10 |
0 |
|
7 |
3 |
0 |
|
CSAC Semifinalists |
| 2010 |
9 |
10 |
1 |
|
7 |
3 |
0 |
|
CSAC Tournament |
| 2011 |
7 |
10 |
3 |
|
7 |
2 |
2 |
|
CSAC Tournament |
| 2012 |
11 |
8 |
3 |
|
6 |
3 |
2 |
|
CSAC Finalists |
| 2013 |
3 |
11 |
4 |
|
3 |
5 |
3 |
|
- |
| 2014 |
11 |
7 |
2 |
|
8 |
2 |
1 |
|
CSAC Semifinalists |
| 2015 |
12 |
4 |
3 |
|
9 |
1 |
1 |
|
CSAC Finalists |
| 2016 |
10 |
7 |
2 |
|
7 |
4 |
0 |
|
CSAC Semifinalists |
| 2017 |
11 |
6 |
1 |
|
8 |
2 |
1 |
|
CSAC Semifinalists |
| 2018 |
4 |
10 |
3 |
|
1 |
5 |
0 |
|
- |
| Total |
103 |
104 |
26 |
|
75 |
36 |
12 |
|
12 Seasons |
