ABINGTON, PA. – The Penn State Abington athletic department is pleased to announce that Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) Shayla Johnson has been promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Business Operations. 

Johnson will have financial oversight of the department's budget, including for its 13 NCAA Division III intercollegiate teams, student wage payroll and part-time coach appointments. Other duties include sports oversight, compliance assistance and game day administration. Johnson will also continue her role as the SWA.  

"We are excited that Shayla has accepted the Assistant Athletic Director for Business Operations position" said Erin Foley, Director of Athletics, Intramurals and Recreation. "Shayla has been a valued member of the department since her arrival in 2016 and her experience is exactly what we need for this new position

"With Shayla and (Assistant Athletic Director) Matt Levy, I feel that we have the right leadership team in place to take Penn State Abington athletics to the next level."

Johnson first came to Penn State Abington as the head women's basketball coach, a position she held until the current campaign. She notched 47 wins during her coaching tenure and led the Nittany Lions to the conference playoffs three times, including two semifinal appearances.

One year into her time at Penn State Abington, Johnson added the SWA duties to her resume and she became a resource for all student-athletes in the department. She helped oversee the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for some time and led the department's community service initiatives. She has assisted with the planning and operating of the department's annual awards banquet, chaired or served on numerous hiring committees, and became a member of the institution's Athletics COVID Task Force. Johnson has also assisted with the conference's SWA Leadership Day for student-athletes and has been a member of the Regional Advisory Committee (RAC). She is also a member of the Women's Leaders in Sports and attended the Institute for Administrative Advancement last year.

"I'm looking forward to this next step in my career and I'm glad to have that opportunity here at Penn State Abington," Johnson said. "This has been my home since 2016 and I'm excited to continue to work with a great group of coaches, staff and student-athletes."

Prior to Penn State Abington, Johnson served as an assistant basketball coach at Arcadia University, University of Portland, Cheyney University. She was also an assistant director at Philadelphia 76ers basketball camps, an assistant to the athletic director at her high school alma mater, Cheltenham High School, and a girls' varsity basketball coach at Tacony Academy Charter School.

Johnson was a four-year scholarship basketball player at the University of Rhode Island. She received her bachelor of arts degree in communication from the institution. She later earned her master's in sport administration from Lock Haven University.