Brian Kimmes

Aaron Johnston just couldn’t leave. He hopped on a plane to Wisconsin expecting to take the helm of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay women’s basketball program, but sometime during the short flight between Sioux Falls and Minneapolis, Minn., he had a change of heart. He just couldn’t leave the people at SDSU.”I have very, very special relationships here. And for me to want to come back, is really all about those relationships. ? That connection is what I’ve really enjoyed about my time here. I just don’t know that, right now, if there is any other place where that connection could be as strong as the connection I have here,” he said. “I think the things that came back and really changed my decision were the relationships again, the connection that I think I’ve made with a lot of people ? I just wasn’t ready to walk away from those.”Johnston is grateful for the opportunity to return to SDSU. He said it would have been easy for Athletic Director Fred Oien and other SDSU officials to politely turn him down and go in another direction.”To be given a chance to come back means an awful lot to me, and I appreciate that,” Johnston said. “I am extremely happy to be here, there’s no question about it. I’m not on the fence. I’m not in between. This is where I want to be and I’m happy to be here.”Those people Johnston has developed a relationship are glad he’s back too. Oien welcomed Johnston back with open arms and said the entire Jackrabbit nation welcomes him back, proclaiming, “You’re our man, buddy.””I’m so excited that he is coming back,” Oien said. “We are pleased as punch that he’s coming back because of what he done in our program, but more importantly ? because every young woman that has gone through this program with AJ as become a better person.”The basketball players are also pleased to have Johnston back.”It’s awesome that he’s back. Everybody is just really happy. It feels like it is SDSU again,” said junior point guard Andrea Verdegan.In addition to feeling happy, the ladies are relieved to have Johnston back.”It was just a relief knowing that he’ll be back,” said sophomore guard Ashlea Muckenhirn. Freshman forward Stacie Oistad said the process of finding a new coach and learning a new system is difficult and she is glad the team will be able to avoid going through that.Johnston told his players in person on Wednesday, April 25 of his decision to leave, but was unable to tell them in person of his decision to return. Oien held a meeting with the team after individual workouts on the afternoon of Thursday, April 26 around 2:30 p.m. to inform the players. Muckenhirn said she expected Oien to discuss the process of finding a new coach, but then was confused when he began talking about Johnston and ripped up Johnston’s resume in front of the team, announcing Johnston’s return to the team.April 26 was a busy day for Oien. He received a call from Johnston a little before 8:30 a.m., asking to come back to SDSU.”It was just a wow moment,” Oien said. “My first word was wow, and I was quiet for a while, extremely emotional.”After talking with Johnston, Oien said he called a meeting with the associate athletic directors to discuss the pros and cons of brining Johnston back.”My initial reaction was that yes, I want him back,” Oien said. “We went through all the scenarios. We discussed all aspects of the decision.”Oien said the feedback from the associate athletic directors was all positive, so he next talked to President Chicione. After a 10-minute conversation with Chicione, Oien said it was clear that they wanted Johnston back. Oien then called Johnston to inform him he was welcomed back, less then two hours after first hearing from him.”I look at this as another opportunity. I really do. This is a chance for me to hopefully bring more to the table than I was even a month ago. And having gone through this experience I think is really going to help me,” Johnston said.