Gabe Johnson is in his sixth year as Head Coach of both the Men's and Women's Tennis teams after being hired in October of 2019.
At the end of the 2023 spring season, five Threshers were in the ITA rankings with Daniela Herrera at #3 in the region, Milan Bucek at #3 in the region and #40 in the nation, the doubles team of Fatima Nemi and Daniela Herrera at #4 in the region, and the doubles pairing of Grace Dawes and Halle Krehbiel at #10 in the region. Milan Bucek and Daniela Herrera were also named to Honorable Mention All-American teams.
In the spring of 2023, the women's team broke into the national rankings as they were receiving votes. Both teams made it to the quarterfinals of the KCAC postseason tournament before the women fell to Ottawa, the eventual champion, and the men fell to McPherson. Johnson coached a KCAC Player of the Year and two All-KCAC players on the women's side, as well as two All-KCAC players on the men's side.
The women's tennis team had an ITA Regional Women's Singles Champion and an ITA Cup Qualifier again in the fall of 2022.
In the fall of 2022, the women's tennis team took home seven medals at the KCAC Individual Championship, with first-place finishes at #1 and #3 doubles and at #2 and #6 singles. A second-place finish at #5 singles was followed by third-place finishes at #3 and #5 singles. The men's team took third place in #1 doubles and #3 singles.
In 2024, Johnson led the men's team to a second-place finish in the KCAC. He coached KCAC Player of the Year Milan Bucek, who also earned All-American honors. The women's team finished fourth in the KCAC and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament before falling to McPherson.
Johnson was named the KCAC Women's Tennis Coach of the Year for the 2021-22 season after leading the women to a 9-9 record and a KCAC postseason appearance following a 2-13 record in 2020-21.
Johnson was named the KCAC Men's Tennis Coach of the Year for the 2020-21 season after leading the men to a 12-5 record, their most wins since 2007. In 2020-21, Johnson coached four All-KCAC players, a KCAC Scholar-Athlete, and a KCAC Sportsmanship Award winner.
Each team finished the 2020-21 season with a player ranked nationally: Michael Cech at #50 for the men and Daniela Herrera at #37 for the women. The Thresher men finished the season with a regionally ranked men's singles player, Milan Bucek at #19, as well as a regionally ranked doubles team of Michael Cech and Nolan Schrader, ranked #10 in the Central Region.
The women's tennis team in 2020 had an ITA Regional Women's Singles Champion and an ITA Cup Qualifier. In the fall of 2020, the women's #1 singles and men's #2 singles players both won the KCAC Individual Championship.
Johnson is a 2019 Bethel College graduate and a four-year tennis letterwinner. While playing as a Thresher, Gabe won the 2018 and 2019 KCAC Sportsmanship Award. In 2018, he was part of a doubles team that finished in third place at #1 doubles in the KCAC Fall Individual Championships.
