Newtown, Pa- Brian Tumpowsky, the Head Women's Basketball Coach, has announced the hiring of Ebony Johnson as Assistant Coach for the upcoming 2023-2024 year. When asked about adding Ebony to the staff, Tumpowsky said, "Ebony has a passion for basketball and empowering young woman that this program sorely needs and will be instrumental in moving this program back in the right direction. Her love, desire, and charisma are contagious, and I look forward to the immediate impact she'll have to help the growth of this team."
Ebony was born and raised in Mercer County, New Jersey, and came from a family of athletes. While basketball was at the top of her list, she also competed in track and field, as well as found a love of the art of dance. With her mother as her first basketball coach, she grew a passion for the game and all of its life lessons. At Ewing High School, Ebony competed for 4 years at the varsity level for both basketball and track and field. As a freshman, she and her teammates won the women's basketball NJ State Championship.
Post-graduation, Ebony decided to stay close to home as she realized that she wanted to continue sharing her love of the game by also giving back to the community. During this time, Ebony played basketball for a year at a community college before deciding to take some time off to pursue her career in photography, journalism, and coaching. In a recent conversation, when asked about her decision, she said "I understand I was blessed with these gifts and that no matter what it is I do, I'll be great at it. I'm putting in the work and I know that today and in the future it'll all pay off!"
In 2021, Ebony returned to her hometown and coached a few recreational teams before ascending to be the Commissioner for the local instructional league. The timing could not have been important given the post-pandemic needs for both the physical and mental health of the players. When asked again about her decision, Ebony shared that "the focus was always to give the youth, as well as high school athletes, a chance to develop more of an understanding for the game of basketball. The years where the world shut down set a lot of players and many sports back a bit. The challenge will continue to be to retain the attention of the athletes, but providing the youth with a grassroots basketball program was a game changer."
October will be the start of Ebony's career as Women's Assistant Coach for Bucks County Community College, where she intends to bring the same energy and dedication that she's possessed for years. Stepping into another level of her calling, Coach Ebony is very clear of her life's assignment. So intently, she shared "I don't want to just be their coach, I want to be an asset on and off the court. I want to stand in as a mentor; assuring everyone is mentally prepared. Building this team's confidence is key. I'm really excited for this season and cannot wait until October!"
