McKenzie Johnston begins her first season as an assistant coach for the Trailblazer women’s basketball program.
Johnston comes to St. George following a stellar international professional career and a two-year stint on the coaching staff at Carroll College in Montana. During her tenure at Carroll, she helped lead the Fighting Saints to a 38-23 overall record and to a pair of NAIA Championship tournament appearances.
While at Carroll, Johnston also played professionally in Australia’s NBL1 Central League, where she finished first in the league in assists. Johnston began her professional career in Germany in 2020, playing for the Bad Homburg Falcons, for which she helped lead to a national championship, finished second in the league in assists.
Johnston then signed a two-year contract with the Leicester Riders of the WBBL in England. During that time, she was named to the WBBL All-Star team, was named team MVP, BUCS League MVP, and received the coaches' award.
Johnston played collegiately at Montana, where she closed her storied four-year career fourth in program history in assists (515) and eighth in points (1,398).
In addition, Johnston was a four-time Academic All-Big Sky selection, and she received the prestigious Theresa Rhoads Award for best exemplifying Lady Griz basketball all four years, a feat no other player in program history has achieved. She was also voted the team's MVP twice, and earned defensive MVP and First Team All-Big Sky in her senior season.
A native of Helena, Johnston graduated from Capital High School in 2015 as Class Valedictorian. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science at Montana in 2020, and completed work on her Master's degree in Sports Management from Loughborough University in England while playing professional basketball.
This past July she was inducted into the Helena Sports Hall of Fame, becoming one of the youngest athletes ever inducted.
