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 SC, 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 Tulsa as an assistant.
Along the way she served as an interim head coach for the Side FC92 of the UWS, a pro-am league. She has a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies from UTEP and her master’s in sports administration from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Johnson also holds U.S. Soccer Federation D, C, and B licenses, and is close to completing her A Senior license.
Harnetiaux said in searching for a head coach, both domestically and internationally, the club had two non-negotiables: The coach would be a person of high character and have a record of high performance. Johnson, Harnetiaux said, has shown she excels in both those arenas.
“While it has been an extensive process, we have taken the time required to get the right person who embodies all of the qualities and traits we need to see in a Zephyr coach,” Harnetiaux said. “Jo really is the complete package – she is a dedicated and talented coach and an excellent ambassador for women’s soccer. We are fortunate to bring her on board.”
Johnson said she’s eager to meet Zephyr’s players, who have a range of experience from fresh out of college to veteran professionals.
“I love the mix,” Johnson said. “I think everyone brings a different perspective and a different strength. I love all of the experiences that they’re going to bring in. I recognize some of them just from coaching against them, being in the same conference, and knowing the same people.”
She’s also enthusiastic about moving to Spokane with her husband and two children. While she’s not spent a lot of time in the Northwest – she does remember traveling to Cheney with UTEP for a match against Eastern Washington University in 2009 – she is looking forward to exploring the region.
“We’re really excited to get up there,” she said.
Zephyr FC expects to announce Johnson’s assistants and other staff in the coming weeks.
The USL Super League’s inaugural season features each club playing 28 regular-season matches – 14 at home and 14 away – followed by playoffs. In the Fall, each team will play seven matches at home and seven away. The Spring schedule will be announced later this year. The USL Super League is the only U.S.-based pro soccer organization following the international club schedule, playing regular season matches from August to May with a Winter Break.
Season tickets are now on sale for this historic season that will change the landscape of women’s professional soccer in Spokane, the United States, and worldwide. Secure the best seats now at www.spokanezephyrfc.com.