Spokane Zephyr FC Names Jo Johnson Head Coach

June 25, 2024 – United Soccer League One (USL1)
Spokane Velocity FC News Release

Jo Johnson, a decorated former collegiate soccer player who has been an assistant coach at the University of Tulsa since 2021, has been hired to lead Spokane Zephyr FC as it launches its first-ever season of professional soccer in the USL Super League.

“We undertook an extensive process to find just the right fit for our organization, and for Spokane,” said Katie Harnetiaux, President of USL Spokane and principal of Aequus Sports. “It was clear from our first meeting that Jo was a candidate of talent and vision whose qualities and style of play align with our plans for Spokane Zephyr FC. We are delighted she agreed to join us, and we are very excited for her to get to work on the upcoming season.”

Spokane Zephyr FC, Spokane’s new Division One professional women’s soccer club, will begin play in the new USL Super League with a home match against Fort Lauderdale United FC at ONE Spokane Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 17.

Spokane is the only USL Super League team west of the Mississippi River. They are joined by seven other teams in the inaugural season of the USL Super League from large markets including Brooklyn FC, Carolina Ascent FC, Dallas Trinity FC, Fort Lauderdale United FC, Lexington FC, Tampa Bay Sun FC, and DC Power FC, with eight more clubs joining in 2025 and beyond.

Training camp begins in July, and Johnson said she is ready to hit the ground running.

“I’m really excited to meet the players and see where they are in their walks of life and mentor them not only as players, but as people,” Johnson said. “It’s just an honor to represent the Spokane community and I’m grateful to be a part of this historic moment in women’s sports.”

Jo Radcliffe Johnson, who is from Phoenix, played midfield at Paradise Valley Community College, where in 2006 she was named an NJCAA All-American, First Team All ACCAC and the Phoenix Women’s Sports Association Athlete of the Year. She then transferred to the University of Texas-El Paso. During her time with the Miners, Johnson was named the team’s Defensive

Player of the Year, MVP, and won the Leadership Award. She also was named to the C-USA All Conference Team.

After graduating, she began her coaching career as an assistant at UTEP. After two seasons, she left and relocated to Oklahoma, where she spent seven years as the head women’s soccer coach at Jenks High School in Jenks, Oklahoma. In 2021, she joined the staff at the University of…