Noel Johnson Headed to Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Midwestern State’s Noel Johnson was selected for enshrinement into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame next May as part of an eight-person class.
 
The class, which was announced earlier this week by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC), will be inducted during a banquet at the El Tropicano Hotel in San Antonio on May 19, 2018, as part of the annual TABC Clinic.
 
Johnson is one of three players including Angela Lawson, Sue Janes Cappell and Gary Sibley as well four coaches — Robert Capello, Tony Harper, Carl Irlbeck and Phil McNeely — in the 2018 class.
 
“The Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame is adding one of its strongest classes ever with this group of players and coaches,” TABC Director Rick Sherley said. “These men and women represent sportsmanship and success, leaving a lasting positive impact on the game of basketball in Texas.”
 
Johnson claimed all-state honors keying a pair of state championship runs at Nazareth High School in 1990 and 1991 before signing to play for Marsha Sharp’s Texas Tech Lady Raiders.
 
The point guard excelled in Lubbock helping the Tech to the 1993 NCAA national championship claiming four Southwest Conference titles and four NCAA Sweet 16 appearances along the way.
 
Johnson claimed All-SWC honors three times graduating as the school’s all-time leader in 3-point percentage.
 
She displayed overall excellence as the first-ever recipient of the Jannine McHaney Award, an honor given by Texas Tech to the female athlete who most exemplifies classroom excellence, courage on the court and a commitment to excellence
 
Johnson earned entrance into the Texas Tech Hall of Honor in 2005.
 
Johnson, who will become the program coaching wins leader next season, is in the midst of a successful run at the helm of the Midwestern State women’s basketball. She led the Mustangs to a three consecutive NCAA Division II postseason appearances from 2013-15 advancing to the South Central Region finals after claiming a Lone Star Conference championship in 2013. The successful postseason run netted her TABC Small College Coach of the Year honors a season after claiming LSC acclaim in 2012.
 
Prior to making the move to Wichita Falls, Johnson served as an assistant coach at Texas State from 1998-07 before spending a season at North Texas in 2007-08.