JONESBORO, Ark. (6/2/16) – Arkansas State head volleyball coach David Rehr announced Thursday that Tristan Johnson has been elevated to the position of Associate Head Coach for the Red Wolves volleyball program.

Johnson, who is entering his third season on the A-State volleyball coaching staff, has helped the Red Wolves win at least 20 matches in back-to-back seasons, including last season's 28-2 squad that won the Sun Belt Conference Championship with a 16-0 mark and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999 and fifth time overall.

“It's a proud moment for me as a head coach because Tristan has been with us the last two years and we go back further than that so it's nice to be able to add this well-deserved title to his job,” Rehr said. “He's been a huge part of our success here and I'm not sure I can quite get across how important he's been to our program. This should also help him as he goes down the path of becoming a head coach, which I know will happen someday for him.”

The American Volleyball Coaches Association recently named Johnson, who is just 23 years of age, a recipient of its “Thirty Under 30” award that honors up-and-coming coaching talent at all levels of the sport. To qualify for the award, nominees had to be 30 years old or younger in 2015. Johnson was one of 12 Division I coaches to receive the honor.

“I'm honored to receive this promotion on the staff and am very grateful to Coach Rehr,” said Johnson. “I know that I am ready for the extra responsibilities this title brings, but I'm just glad to be a part of this staff and program. We've got a great thing going here at Arkansas State and I'm ready to begin the season.”

Johnson's primary responsibilities include coaching the team's back row and libero and helping implement the team's defensive game plan. Last season, the team had an average of 16.29 digs per set to rank second in the conference while libero Markie Schaedig was 13th in the nation in digs per set with 5.42. The junior was also named the SBC Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year for the second straight season and was named to the AVCA Southwest All-Region Squad. The Red Wolves' defense held teams to a league-leading .155 hitting percentage, which also ranked ninth in the nation.

Most recently, Johnson was named to the USA Women's Volleyball Pan American Cup Coaching Staff as a scout coach. He has spent parts of the 2014 and 2015 summers as an intern with the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams.

The 2016 season gets underway for Arkansas State Aug. 26-27 at the TCU Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas. Fans can follow the team on Twitter (@stAteVolleyball) and Instagram (astatevolleyball) along with liking the Arkansas State University Volleyball page on Facebook for the latest news and updates regarding the team.