IOWA CITY, Iowa – Stacy May-Johnson has been selected as the next head coach of the University of Iowa softball program, Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics, Beth Goetz announced Wednesday. The former Hawkeye player and assistant coach is the sixth head coach in program history.
“I am thrilled to be coming back to Iowa City and to once again be a Hawkeye,” said May-Johnson. “I look forward to leading Iowa softball to Big Ten Championships and the Women’s College World Series, and creating a championship culture both in the classroom and on the field.”
May-Johnson played at Iowa from 2003-06, where she was a three-time All-Big Ten selection and the 2003 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. In 2003, May-Johnson was a part of the Big Ten regular season and tournament championship teams. She still ranks in the top 15 in program history in career games played, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs and batting average.
She also served as both a student assistant (2007) and assistant coach (2011-14) with the Hawkeyes.
May-Johnson returns to Iowa City with nearly 20 years of coaching experience, including head coaching stints at Fresno State (2022-25) and Utah Valley (2020-21). She was associate head coach at Eastern Kentucky (2018-19), an assistant at Purdue (2017), Louisville (2015-16) and Iowa (2011-14) and a volunteer assistant at Louisville (2008-10).
“We are thrilled to welcome Stacy May-Johnson back to Iowa as the new head coach of our softball program,” said Goetz. “Stacy is a proven leader with a deep understanding of what it means to be a Hawkeye. Her experience as a standout student-athlete, combined with her coaching success and commitment to developing young women on and off the field, makes her the ideal person to lead our program into its next chapter. We are excited for the future of Iowa softball under her leadership.”
During her time in Fresno, May-Johnson saw the Bulldogs improve their win total year-over-year, notching 112 victories in four seasons. In 2025, she led Fresno to 37 wins and to the Mountain West Championship title game.
In her tenure, May-Johnson coached one Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, two MWC Pitchers of the Year, three NFCA All-Region and nine All-Mountain West honorees. In the classroom, the Bulldogs had 41 Academic All-Mountain West selections and 28 Mountain West Scholar-Athletes.
Before making the move to California, May-Johnson spent two seasons as head coach at Utah Valley where she coached seven All-WAC selections.
Following her collegiate career, May-Johnson played professionally for the Chicago Bandits of the NPF (National Pro Fastpitch) and was a member of the United States National Team.
She spent five years in the NPF where she was a two-time NPF Most Valuable Player. She was the 2006 NPF Rookie of the Year, a three-time All-Star and led the team to two titles. May-Johnson, who is one of six players to have her number retired with Chicago, led the NPF in home runs, hits and runs scored in each of her MVP seasons in 2008 and 2010.
As a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team, May-Johnson helped Team USA win gold medals at the 2011 Pan American Games, and the 2011 and 2012 World Cup; and a silver medal at the 2012 World Championships. She was named the 2011 USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year.
The Reno, Nevada, native graduated from Iowa with bachelor’s degrees in physics and accounting in 2007. She was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection. She then earned a master’s degree in physics from Louisville in 2009.
She and her husband, Nate, have three children, Corrie, Emma and JD.