CHATTANOOGA --- Chattanooga women's basketball head coach Deandra Schirmer revealed the addition of two new graduate assistants ahead of the 2025-26 season on Tuesday, with the Mocs welcoming on Sydney Johnson and Tyler O'Connor to the UTC family.
Johnson and O'Connor will fill the roles of GA Gabby Wessels and student assistant Jed Petraitis, both of whom graduated from UTC over the course of the 2024-25 season.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sydney and Tyler to our program as our new graduate assistants," head coach Deandra Schirmer remarked. "Their passion for the game, strong work ethic and willingness to serve others will make them outstanding additions to our team.
"We're excited to see the positive impact they will have both on and off the court here in Chattanooga."
Sydney Johnson joins the Chattanooga staff following a five-year playing career at the Division I level. Johnson started her career at Boston University, where she was a dominant force for the Terriers by finishing 11th all-time in career points (1,255), eight all-time in career assists (330) and ninth all-time in career field goals made (483) at the guard position. Johnson was a multi-time All-Patriot League honoree for the Terriers in her career, including becoming the first Terrier in program history to be named First Team All-Patriot League multiple times in her career.
Johnson then took her talents to Georgia Tech for her fifth and final year of eligibility, where she played in all 32 of the Yellow Jackets' games during the 2023-24 season including making 11 starts on the year. She would finish the season having notched 73 points, 69 assists, 57 rebounds, 19 steals and three blocks.
Away from the basketball court, Johnson has also spent time as an Education Intern for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, where she worked with the NCCHR's Education Department to develop and research curricular materials for the program to use. Johnson is a 2023 graduate from Boston University, having earned her Bachelors of American & New England Studies.
Tyler O'Connor comes to the Scenic City having spent his previous four years studying at Michigan State University. Upon his arrival in East Lansing, O'Connor got straight to work as a Student Manager and Scout Team Member for MSU's women's basketball program, a role that he would hold for all four years of his undergraduate career.
O'Connor would also take part in a coaching internship with the Spartans women's basketball team in 2024, working under three-time Hall of Fame Assistant Coach and two-time Division I National Champion Dean Lockwood as he assisted in individual positional workouts and created offensive play call sheets. O'Connor has also served as a NEPA Elite Coach back in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, working in the local AAU circuit.
O'Connor is a 2025 graduate from Michigan State, having received his Bachelors in Kinesiology while also earning a minor in Coaching.
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