WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A former USA Softball Athlete of the Year, three-time All-Big Ten honoree and former Big Ten Freshman of the Year will round out the Boilermaker softball staff, as head coach Boo DeOliveira announced the hiring of Stacy May-Johnson. May-Johnson, who boasts playing experience at the international, professional and collegiate levels, comes to Purdue after stints as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Iowa, and Louisville.
"I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to join the Purdue softball staff," May-Johnson said. "I am excited about the future and the direction of the program, and I know that Coach DeOliviera and the rest of our staff will take Purdue to national prominence.
"I want to thank Coach DeOliveira and the Purdue administration for allowing me to be a part of the Boilermaker family. I'm excited to be back in the Big Ten, and I can't wait to get on the field with our team this fall."
May-Johnson spent the last two seasons with the Cardinals, helping guide the team to two NCAA Tournament berths and a 65-36 record, including a second-place finish in the ACC in 2016. Under her defensive tutelage, two players earned all-region accolades and seven garnered All-ACC honors. The stint was May-Johnson's second in Louisville, following time as the team's volunteer assistant from 2008 to 2010, when the Cardinals posted back-to-back 40-win seasons and made two NCAA appearances.
"I am very happy to welcome Stacy and her family to the Purdue softball family," DeOliveira said. "She is not only a wonderful coach, but she is a person of great character. She has competed and coached at the highest level. Having played infield both in college and professionally, Stacy will bring a ton of defensive game savvy to our team. Our defense will thrive thanks to Stacy."
May-Johnson was an assistant coach at Iowa from 2011 to 2014 prior to her return trip to Louisville. She was responsible for all aspects of the offense and helped the Hawkeyes to a runner-up finish in the Big Ten in 2012. Under her watch, two players garnered all-region acclaim and 10 earned All-Big Ten honors. The Hawkeyes also received two All-Big Ten Defensive Team selections during the span.
May-Johnson got her start in coaching as a student assistant coach at Iowa in 2007, after a playing career which saw her earn three NFCA All-Mideast Region and All-Big Ten accolades. The shortstop/third baseman was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2003 after leading Iowa to the regular season and conference tournament titles. She still boasts marks among the Hawkeye season top 10 in home runs (T4th, 10 in 2005) and doubles (5th, 17 in 2003) and among the career top 10 in hits (3rd with 264), doubles (3rd with 51), home runs (6th with 23) and batting average (10th with .338). In the classroom, May-Johnson was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten and Academic All-District 7 selection.
The Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch selected May-Johnson in the second round of the 2006 draft, beginning her five-year career with the team. She was the league's Rookie of the Year in 2006, the league's MVP in 2008 and 2011 and a three-time All-Star (2006, 2008, 2011), while leading the Bandits to the NPF title in 2008 and 2011. The team retired her number in 2010 after she announced her initial retirement before returning for one more season to lead the team to the league title. She is currently ranked in the top five on the NPF's list for doubles and home runs.
On the national stage, May-Johnson competed for the United States National Team in 2011 and 2012, earning the 2011 Player of the Year honor after batting .418 and ranking first on the team in hits, runs and RBI and ranking third in batting average. She helped lead the United States to the gold medal at the 2011 and 2012 World Cup of Softball and the 2011 Pan America Games, and a silver medal at the 2012 World Championship. May-Johnson also was selected as the Defensive Most Valuable Player in the USA's second place finish in the 2011 Canada Cup.
May-Johnson earned both her bachelor of arts degree in accounting and bachelor of science degree in physics from Iowa in 2007. The Reno, Nevada, native went on to earn her master's degree in physics from Louisville in 2009. The former Stacy May is married to Nate Johnson. The couple has one daughter, Corrie.