Johnson eager to get going at West Aurora
Monday was a huge day for the Blackhawks.
Away from the ice, former Kaneland boys basketball coach Brian Johnson came out of Monday's regular board meeting of School District 129 as the new head coach of West Aurora High School's varsity boys basketball team.
The 35-year-old Johnson, identified as the recommended candidate for the position on June 9, will succeed retired hall of fame Blackhawks coach Gordie Kerkman and teach physical education at the high school. A Sugar Grove resident, Johnson will join his wife, Katie, also a teacher at West Aurora.
"I'm extremely excited," he said. "It's the community I live in, it's where my children (Will and Alexandra) will be going to school and it's also a place where my wife has been working at the last eight years.
"It's a place I'm very comfortable with and it's fun coming back to interview, seeing so many familiar faces, walking the hallways. It's just definitely a place that I am excited to be at."
Johnson, 99-68 in six seasons at Kaneland with three conference titles and two regional championships, served on Kerkman's varsity staff in the 2008-09 season before going to Kaneland. A 1997 graduate of St. Edward High School in Elgin, he was hired out of Judson College by Dundee-Crown, spending six years there in the sophomore and varsity programs.
Johnson witnessed first hand what made Kerkman a top coach and West Aurora a prime destination, from defense to "the little things" to overall philosophy.
"The year I was there, one thing I saw that I think was huge with his success is that he ran a program where every single person knew the expectation was that you had to work hard and that you're representing West Aurora in a proud position - and teach each class, each team, to uphold that position. And he did a great job really motivating the kids to play hard," Johnson said.
He also made sure to credit the school that provided his head coaching experience.
"I appreciate all the opportunities I had at Kaneland," he said. "I felt lucky to be surrounded by coaches that put the kids first and really helped in the success we had the last six years."
The head coaching change at West Aurora is the boys program's first since Kerkman - whose 805 victories rank fifth among Illinois boys prep coaches - succeeded John McDougal in 1976-77. Johnson said veterans Paul Kieffer and Dan Batka will remain as varsity assistants, and they'll inherit promising incoming sophomore forward Camron Donatlan, senior Drake Spears and players from an unbeaten sophomore season.
Johnson's task is to continue the success of a program that has won four straight regional titles with sectional titles three of the last four seasons.
"Expectations for West Aurora are always high," he said. "I have to be true to myself, and I have to be true to what has gotten me to this point. I can promise that we will play hard and we will play the game the right way."
Unlike those Blackhawks who play hockey, Johnson gets no time to celebrate his victory. He'll lead West Aurora basketball camp starting Tuesday.
"This is something I've thought about for a long time," Johnson said. "The opportunity came up and I'm excited to get started. I'm excited to continue the tradition."