Photos by Barry Stephenson.
Hoover Coach Krystle Johnson and members of the 2026 Class 7A state champion girls basketball team were recognized prior to a game between Hoover High School and Muscle Shoals on Aug. 21 at the Hoover Met.
When the jersey was unveiled, Krystle Johnson was caught off guard, which is a rare thing for the eight-time state champion as head coach of the Hoover High School women’s basketball team.
The former star player for the Lady Bucs had her No. 55 jersey retired Aug. 21 before the Hoover football team’s opening game of the 2026 season.
“I am speechless,” Johnson said, tears of joy and gratitude streaming down her face. “It is definitely one of the best moments.”
Photos by Barry Stephenson.
Hoover basketball coach Krystle Johnson reacts as her high school number 55 is presented to her.
For one of the best moments of Johnson’s decorated career to come at a jersey retirement ceremony says a lot about what the honor meant to her.
The Lady Bucs have won six consecutive state championships, and Johnson has compiled a 421-66 record during her time in charge of the program.
Johnson also won two state titles as an assistant coach and one as a player during her senior season in 2001. In that championship game, she hit a pair of free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining to break a tie and give her team the title, an accomplishment she once described as her greatest athletic thrill.
She went on to play at UCLA before transferring closer to home to play for the University of Alabama. Her résumé also includes serving as an assistant coach with the U.S. women’s U-17 national team, helping the team win gold medals each of the past two years.
Like any coach with the caliber of accolades Johnson has accumulated, she picked up on a few clues that something bigger might be happening. She watched as people from her “journey,” including former teammates, former players, and Lori Elgin, her head coach while playing for Hoover, began arriving en masse to celebrate her.
While Johnson’s career can easily be measured in championships, wins and awards, the people gathered to celebrate her Friday offered another reflection as well.
Johnson’s impact at Hoover extends beyond the basketball court. In addition to leading the Lady Bucs, she teaches mathematics at the school, a role that has allowed her to influence students both in the classroom and through athletics. Those who work alongside Johnson spoke highly of her ability to balance the demands of teaching and coaching while maintaining the same level of commitment to both.
For someone who has spent much of her career helping others reach their goals, Johnson found herself on the receiving end of that recognition Friday night.
“It feels good to be recognized,” Johnson said. “I just like to stay in the background. It is special that all my co-workers were able to put this together. I am still kind of shocked, but it is such a great feeling.”
