Alex Eisen/MDN Former 2012 North Dakota Miss Basketball winner Holly Johnson encourages the Bishop Ryan girls basketball team during a game played this past season inside the Minot Municipal Auditorium.

Holly Johnson, a former 2012 North Dakota Miss Basketball award-winner out of Minot High School, is currently a medical sales consultant. Johnson was also an assistant coach for the Bishop Ryan girls basketball team and did girls basketball color commentary on the radio for the PSP Network.

Johnson played college basketball at North Dakota State and the University of North Dakota before finishing out her career at Minot State in 2018.

The Minot Daily News spoke with Johnson recently to talk about her ongoing ventures into coaching and broadcasting, favorite memories from her playing days and much more. Some responses are edited for brevity and clarity.

MDN: What has the transition been like for you going from being a player to being a coach?

HJ: The transition at first felt like it was a little too much — a little too intense. I felt like I still had sneakers on. Building the relationships first with the girls was key.

Going into Bishop Ryan, I knew some of those girls and I had a good relationship with (head coach) Roger (Coleman) going into it. While they might know who I am, they don’t truly know who I am and what I’m about. So, I had to scale back a little bit and remember that these are 14-, 15-, 16-year-old girls. And having somebody harp on them that they don’t know right off the bat was probably a little much.

But, I’ve enjoyed getting to know the girls and building those relationships with them this last year.

MDN: Any other things you found challenging about coaching?

HJ: Maybe the different level. I’ve been fortunate to have played Class A high school basketball in North Dakota, then played Division I at North Dakota State and UND. Then, came back to Minot, to play Division II at Minot State.

The one level I hadn’t experienced was Class B. It was a challenge for me at first to remember where I was at, what these girls have been taught and what they learned growing up. Playing high school basketball might not be these girls’ main focus that they wanted to pursue.

Figuring out what everyone’s goals were and what they wanted to accomplish as a high school athlete was something that I tried to tap into toward the middle and end of the season.

I feel like I got a decent grasp on a couple of those girls to help them develop either personally or athletically or even both.

MDN: Do you think high school basketball has changed at all since you played?

HJ: Absolutely. I think the game is evolving all the time. Even if you look at the NBA from where it started to where it is now, the style of play is a lot more tempo. It’s a bunch of athletic guys. And, sometimes, you don’t really have to be good at basketball, you have to be a really good athlete with a certain skill set.

I think a lot of high schools are trying to go with an uptempo pace to get fans in the seats. I also think the level of physicality has maybe gone down, but the tempo up, if anything.

To be honest, I think there is a big difference between Class A and Class B. A lot of it has to do with the size of the school, how many kids go out and the kids that you can have on the floor. But there are pros and cons with Class A and Class B — just like everything else.

MDN: You also did some color commentary on the radio this past season. How did that all come about, and what was that experience like?

HJ: Yeah, it was just a random experience. I’m really good friends with Nick Hulberg ever since I moved back to Minot. He asked me to help out with a couple of Minot High girls basketball games.

I was a little nervous to start because I had never done that before. I have obviously had experience with interviews with the news, newspaper and stuff like that being a local athlete in high school and in college.

I feel like that experience helped me get through the commentating in the first game. By the second game, I felt a lot more comfortable and could give my own opinion to a certain extent.

But, yeah, I just thought it was fun to be back in my home gym at Minot High. Nick is really good at what he does, so it was fun to do it with not only a real professional but a friend of mine.

MDN: Do you have any favorite memories from your playing days?

HJ: One of the memories that sticks out, and it’s nothing crazy, but I remember being at (Bismarck) Century, and we had beat them. It was my junior season. Coach Mags (Todd Magnuson) had a play called “Bam Bam,” and it was for Jayd Eggert and me.

He would always scream out, “Bam Bam.” We knew exactly what to do and got in our spots. Somehow, we scored every time. It was the most simple play looking back on it, but it worked.

MDN: Who do you think is the best player you ever went up against?

HJ: This was one of the most memorable and miserable experiences at the same time. I was a junior at NDSU, and we played Mississippi State. I believe they went on to play in the Final Four that year.

We were at Mississippi State, and we were playing against girls that, to be honest, we had no business playing against. I’m about 6-foot, and I was playing a four-spot (power forward). That’s severely undersized at that level. I had to guard their big girl who was probably 6-foot-4 and was stacked. She was a good ballplayer.

I remember trying to box her out, thinking I was going to get this rebound. Before I even realized, the ball was in her hands and she scored two points. I was still boxing her out.

NDSU is still Division I at the mid-major level, but there is a big jump there and you have to respect the girls that play at the highest level.

MDN: You need two players for a 3-on-3 tournament, and you can pick anybody you want to be on your team. Who are you playing with?

HJ: I’m going to pick Candace Parker. She has been my idol. I’ve tried to study and emulate her game. I definitely lack in the athleticism category, but I picked up a lot from her.

I’d also pick Odyssey Sims, who played at Baylor. I liked her style of play.

I think it would be cool to meet those two ladies and be able to play with them. But, they would probably be pretty frustrated playing with a scrub like me with the level of play they are used to.

MDN: What would be your dream job in sports?

HJ: I went to school for sports administration and, ironically, have taken a job that has nothing to do with my degree. But, I have always dreamed of being an athletic director. I also wanted to be a coach.

So, being able to help assist at Ryan with coach Coleman has been my way of getting my fix with basketball. I always envisioned myself on a college bench somewhere to start off. You don’t just become an athletic director right out of the gates. But, I think that would be an extremely rewarding and satisfying job.

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.