A Bulldog Bond
October 13, 2026 | Soccer
STARKVILLE โ Long before standing together on the sideline at Mississippi State, head coach Kevin O'Brien and captain Hailey Johnson shared a connection stretching back to before she was born.
The O'Briens and the Johnsons go way back. The coachย played professional soccer with the captain's father, Benjamin, while O'Brien's wife, Shannon, played with Johnson's mother, Kathryn. Growing up surrounded by soccer and Charlotte Eagles hangouts, Hailey grew into the competitive and relentless atmosphere. Little did they know that many years later and many miles away they would be competing together in the SEC. Their dynamic has grown into a mentor-player relationship, with Johnson viewing O'Brien as a second father and him watching her grow into the person and player that he always expected her to be.
The path from family friends to an SEC power was far from a straight line. During her high school recruiting journey Johnson suffered a leg injury, wiping out a big period of development and scouting opportunities for college coaches. Rather than letting her injury set her back, she headed to Division II Lee University and used her freshman seasonย to prove herself.
O'Brien described Johnson as an athletic engine with undeniable sharpness and dynamism.ย When she entered the transfer portal for the first, it gave himย a chance to see how much of her father had grown in her.
"It was very easy for me to say, 'Let's take a chance on this one,' because I knew who she was, who she came from and the type of person she was going to be," O'Brien said. "Once I saw that freshmen footage, it was, 'Alright, she's going to be a good player. There's no doubt about it."
So Johnson made her way to Nashville and walked on to O'Brien's Lipscomb squad. She played well enough to earn a scholarship entering her junior year, which would prove to be a breakout campaign. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native led the Bisons in goals, assists and points on her way to all-region recognition.
What drew Johnson to O'Brien's program at Lipscomb was far more than just winning games, but the environment that was being built.
"He created the environment where your identity wasn't in how you were playing or if you were scoring or if you're sitting on the bench," Johnson said.ย "He cared more about the person and developing the person. I just felt so loved and seen by the coaches and the people there."
When O'Brian accepted his new position in Starkville, Johnson had a choice to make. She wanted to challenge herself. Johnson entered the portal before even talking about it with O'Brien. It was less him bringing her along and more her forcing him to take a look.ย For O'Brien, signing her was an easy decision. Her fast-paced style and athleticism made her a natural fit for the SEC, the only question was how far she could go.
"The whole becoming a captain piece, she did it on her own essentially in the spring," O'Brien said. "You want a captain that sets the standard. I would call Hailey a standard bearer when it comes to fitness and lifestyle decisions. But she needed to develop a relationship with the girls on the team, which takes time."
During the 2026 spring season, surrounded by a new group of players and a program in the midst of change, Johnson set the standard through her actions. She quickly established herself as a hard worker on the field and proved her relentless work ethic. Scoring the first goal of the team's spring campaign helped cement it. Stepping into the leadership role was not as difficult though because she was already familiar with the core valuesย O'Brien instills in his players.
"One of the things that OB emphasizes, he always talks about this in preseason is a servant mindset," Johnson said. "If you're a leader, you're the first servant. You're humble. I've tried to implement that into the way that I lead. How can I best serve and love my players before I'm the first to yell at them, criticize them? It's received so much better when they know that they can trust me, and they know that I care about them."
The balance between competitiveness and humility is what defines an O'Brien program. On the field, he drives his players to be the best they can be. Off the field, he creates an environment full of trust, laughter and a genuine connection.
"He has brought the same intensity and his desire to win," Johnson said. "He wants to win, but within the same breath, he's brought that passion and that care for his players. He cares about each of the players so much more than just who they are as a player. He does his job really well,ย but even more, he's beginning to create a really specialย culture here."
From family bonds to navigating the toughest conference in college, O'Brien and Johnson are building something special and lasting inย Starkvilleย โย a program grounded in leadership, trust and a relentless desire to win.
The O'Briens and the Johnsons go way back. The coachย played professional soccer with the captain's father, Benjamin, while O'Brien's wife, Shannon, played with Johnson's mother, Kathryn. Growing up surrounded by soccer and Charlotte Eagles hangouts, Hailey grew into the competitive and relentless atmosphere. Little did they know that many years later and many miles away they would be competing together in the SEC. Their dynamic has grown into a mentor-player relationship, with Johnson viewing O'Brien as a second father and him watching her grow into the person and player that he always expected her to be.
The path from family friends to an SEC power was far from a straight line. During her high school recruiting journey Johnson suffered a leg injury, wiping out a big period of development and scouting opportunities for college coaches. Rather than letting her injury set her back, she headed to Division II Lee University and used her freshman seasonย to prove herself.
O'Brien described Johnson as an athletic engine with undeniable sharpness and dynamism.ย When she entered the transfer portal for the first, it gave himย a chance to see how much of her father had grown in her.
"It was very easy for me to say, 'Let's take a chance on this one,' because I knew who she was, who she came from and the type of person she was going to be," O'Brien said. "Once I saw that freshmen footage, it was, 'Alright, she's going to be a good player. There's no doubt about it."
So Johnson made her way to Nashville and walked on to O'Brien's Lipscomb squad. She played well enough to earn a scholarship entering her junior year, which would prove to be a breakout campaign. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native led the Bisons in goals, assists and points on her way to all-region recognition.
What drew Johnson to O'Brien's program at Lipscomb was far more than just winning games, but the environment that was being built.
"He created the environment where your identity wasn't in how you were playing or if you were scoring or if you're sitting on the bench," Johnson said.ย "He cared more about the person and developing the person. I just felt so loved and seen by the coaches and the people there."
When O'Brian accepted his new position in Starkville, Johnson had a choice to make. She wanted to challenge herself. Johnson entered the portal before even talking about it with O'Brien. It was less him bringing her along and more her forcing him to take a look.ย For O'Brien, signing her was an easy decision. Her fast-paced style and athleticism made her a natural fit for the SEC, the only question was how far she could go.
"The whole becoming a captain piece, she did it on her own essentially in the spring," O'Brien said. "You want a captain that sets the standard. I would call Hailey a standard bearer when it comes to fitness and lifestyle decisions. But she needed to develop a relationship with the girls on the team, which takes time."
During the 2026 spring season, surrounded by a new group of players and a program in the midst of change, Johnson set the standard through her actions. She quickly established herself as a hard worker on the field and proved her relentless work ethic. Scoring the first goal of the team's spring campaign helped cement it. Stepping into the leadership role was not as difficult though because she was already familiar with the core valuesย O'Brien instills in his players.
"One of the things that OB emphasizes, he always talks about this in preseason is a servant mindset," Johnson said. "If you're a leader, you're the first servant. You're humble. I've tried to implement that into the way that I lead. How can I best serve and love my players before I'm the first to yell at them, criticize them? It's received so much better when they know that they can trust me, and they know that I care about them."
The balance between competitiveness and humility is what defines an O'Brien program. On the field, he drives his players to be the best they can be. Off the field, he creates an environment full of trust, laughter and a genuine connection.
"He has brought the same intensity and his desire to win," Johnson said. "He wants to win, but within the same breath, he's brought that passion and that care for his players. He cares about each of the players so much more than just who they are as a player. He does his job really well,ย but even more, he's beginning to create a really specialย culture here."
From family bonds to navigating the toughest conference in college, O'Brien and Johnson are building something special and lasting inย Starkvilleย โย a program grounded in leadership, trust and a relentless desire to win.
Players Mentioned
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