Legends Select Ben Johnson as New Football Coach

29-year-old coach has learned from the city’s best coaches and programs

UNSCRIPTED By Keith Lamont
Fort Wayne Ink Spot

Becoming a head coach of a high school program is a tremendous responsibility, something that few people have done or truly understand. North Side High School has entrusted this honor of guiding their football program over to Ben (BJ) Johnson, who was an assistant this past season and assisted at other area schools before North Side. I invited the 29-year-old Johnson in to discuss this newly minted position for him and how he will place his stamp on the Legends.

Q: Congratulations on the new position! What will be some of the challenges that you will encounter coming into your first season as a head coach?

A: Well, I’m coming into a great situation in that I’ve been an assistant here at North Side as the offensive coordinator and have established a rapport with the returning players. They already know how passionate I am about football and the work that goes into being successful. The challenge will be to continue the great tradition of North Side Legends football that was experienced under Coach (Mike) Brevard. (Brevard is an assistant at the University of Saint Francis.) Our styles are similar, but me taking over for him will be different for the players, but something that I think they’ll adjust to.

Q: So, when you found out that the position was yours, who were the first people that you called?

A: I waited until I saw my wife, and then I shared it with her, with tears in my eyes. Then I called my mom and my mentors to let them know that this was really happening. I thought (getting a head coaching job) would take me getting into my 40’s or 50’s for this door to open but God had other plans.

Q: Can you share with us what your background is/was that prepared you for this position?

A: I’m a Fort Wayne native having played football for Miami Middle School and Wayne High School. I was then fortunate enough to receive a scholarship to continue playing football for Anderson University.

After graduating from Anderson, I returned home and was able to secure my first coaching position at Bishop Luers High School. To be quite honest I was the assistant to the assistant to the assistant (laughter), so it was a total first-year learning experience for me. When year two came around, I assumed that I would be in the same position as the year before, but when the running backs coach left, I was asked to fill that coaching spot and I embraced it fully.

After three years at Luers, I moved to Wayne High School (under Coach Derrick Moore) and continued as an offensive coordinator for three seasons and then landed at North Side as the offensive coordinator this past year under Coach Brevard.

Q: What made you confident that you were the person to inherit this football program?

A: Great question! What happened during the season was that Coach Brevard’s son had to be quarantined (due to COVID) and because of exposure the coach had to leave the program for three weeks. He came to me and said “I need you to be the interim coach while I’m away because I trust you and everything’s going to be fine. So, all the responsibilities that he had as our head coach fell on me: game planning, discipline, and any decisions regarding North Side football. I fully embraced the challenge and looked at it as a stepping-stone to my preparation in one being a head coach.

But what solidified it for me was the support that I received from the administration and the players in the program. We beat Concordia High School in my very first game and that made me feel confident that if the opportunity ever came that I could have my own program one day.

Q: What can we expect to see out of your program that will put your stamp on it on both sides of the football?

A: We’re going to be fast, tough and very disciplined. Our kids are going to be “students of the game”. I’m big on watching film and I want my players to understand that the use of HUDL (website) is going to be a part of their learning curve foe what I want them to learn being a player in this program.

Q: Coach, what’s the one thing that you must establish in your program coming in as a first-year head coach?

A: Relationships are key for us. When I say this, I mean relationships with parents, teachers, teammates, administration and alumni. This will be key for us to be successful and have sustained success. Also, if I may add another word that will be key for us it would be chemistry. That starts with the coaching staff. We must have a staff that communicates with each other and the players. We want everyone to be on the same page when it comes to the Legends football program that has been entrusted to me.

Q: Who were some of your influences in the game that made you think that “One day I’ll be a head coach?”

A: I’d have to start with Vernard Hollins for sure. He stayed on me by encouraging me to keep working hard. Jamal Howell would also tell me that I’d be a great head coach one day if I stuck with it, so I thank him for that. My mentor Larry White also shared with me “You never know what God has for you so just embrace this opportunity.”

Q: North Side was extremely competitive as well as entertaining this past season, can we expect more of the same from your program?

A: “I would like to think so! Even though we lose some tremendously skilled players that did some amazing things this past season, the talent that returns is skilled as well. I think that we have three young men that will compete for the open quarterback spot and our skilled positions, as well as our defense, will be solid. We’ll continue to do the little things that will allow us to be successful. Coach Brevard did things the right way in that there is talent in every class at North Side. We don’t look to rebuild, hopefully it’s just a reload!