Damian Johnson is the current boys’ basketball head coach and current dean of students for the Benilde-St. Margaret’s junior high. Johnson played professional basketball, which gave him a lot of different ideas on how to coach a successful basketball team.
Johnson’s time in the Australian men’s professional league helped him excel not only as a player but as a steward of the game too. His coach made a positive impact on Johnson and showed him that being a tough guy wasn’t how you win–it is all about having good relationships with teammates and coaches. Johnson also learned that the world of professional basketball was ruthless. It’s every man for themselves because each player is fighting for minutes in hopes of making it to the NBA. “My Australian coach was the greatest coach I had. He taught me that you don’t have to be a hard coach to have a good team. It’s about building relationships with your players,” Johnson said.
My Australian coach was the greatest coach I had. He taught me that you don’t have to be a hard coach to have a good team. It’s about building relationships with your players.”
— Damian Johnson
One of the biggest takeaways that Johnson has from his time coaching at Benilde-St. Margaret’s is getting to watch all of the kids he coached grow as players and as young men. He has coached a group of players from when they were in 8th grade all the way up to them being seniors this year. It is a bittersweet experience for him to see the kids he made the initial connections with when he started coaching at Benilde-St. Margaret’s but nevertheless, he is excited to see where all of the young men end up in the future. “I think that players make this team special and the ability to watch them grow up is my favorite part of my job,” Johnson said.
As a coach Johnson has to face many challenges on and off the court, some are more pressing than others. He has to deal with the ups and downs of the season and has to make sure that he’s helping keep his players motivated in hard times such as losing streaks. Johnson never lets any of his players leave the locker room with a bad attitude and always helps them keep their heads up. Johnson’s message to his players is about putting in the effort now so that in the future it will pay off. Johnson seems equally motivated to help win and help his players succeed in future goals on and off the court. “You have to look forward and can’t let the stuff in the past keep bothering you,” Johnson said.