Whitney Arion joined the Utah Valley University softball staff in July of 2020 after spending the last five seasons on staff at Eastern Kentucky University, where she coached alongside May-Johnson in 2018 and 2019. The 2018 team won 45 games and an Ohio Valley Conference championship.
During her time at EKU, the Colonels totaled 166 wins and were off to a 22-2 start before the abrupt end to the 2020 season. The 2018 EKU team was one of the top power-hitting teams in the country and averaged 1.32 home runs per game, fifth best in the nation. During her five-year stint in Richmond, Kentucky, several EKU hitters entered the program’s record books and were ranked among the national leaders in several categories including the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, Paige Murphy.
Prior to her joining the Eastern Kentucky coaching staff, Arion enjoyed a standout career at the University of Louisville, where she helped the Cardinals appear in the NCAA Tournament in each of her four seasons.
She was All-Conference four times, including a first-team All-ACC Team member as a senior, a season in which May-Johnson was an assistant coach for the Cardinals in 2015. In addition to the All-ACC honor, she was also on the 2014 American Athletic Conference second team, and a two-time All-BIG East selection. Arion finished with a career .295 average with 24 home runs, 131 runs batted in and 190 hits.
The Delphi, Indiana native also played professionally in the summers of 2015 and 2016 with the Pennsylvania Rebellion in the National Pro Fastpitch League.
She earned a bachelor's degree in communcations from Lousville and a master's degree from Eastern Kentucky in physical education.
