BANGOR, Maine — Joe Johnson knew at an early age he was probably going into coaching.
“I got the coaching bug when I was a kid. I came from a very underprivileged background so my coaches were probably the biggest influences in my life,” said the 52-year-old Johnson, who is the varsity girls soccer and basketball coach at Bangor High School.
Johnson is in his ninth season as the soccer coach and has guided the Rams to five Class A regional championships and two state titles in the last six seasons. Bangor’s record during that span is 102-8-5.
Johnson is 29-10 in his two seasons as Bangor’s basketball coach.
His path to coaching was a little different than most.
“My dad showed up at my (Searsport) High School graduation and asked me what I was going to do. I told him I was going to the beach and to a party. After that, I didn’t know,” said Johnson.
“He asked me if I wanted to go to school in Virginia,” said Johnson, who did just that, enrolling at George Mason University. He earned a degree in physical education.
He then got a teaching job and assisted legendary Fairfax High School basketball coach Steve Henry, who had more than 400 wins on his resume.
“He took me under his wing,” said Johnson, who also coached baseball at a neighboring school.
Johnson learned a lot from Henry and spent 18 years in Virginia. But he said he always wanted to come home.
He got his wish in 1999 and moved to Bangor with wife Dianne and children Morgan and Garrett.
His twin brother Jim was living in Bangor.
When he arrived, he got a teaching job and became the boys JV basketball and girls JV soccer coach.
“I had never coached soccer a day in my life,” said Johnson. “I had played it in high school but I had no knowledge of coaching it whatsoever.”
His first year playing soccer at Searsport High was only the second year of the program.
“I learned a lot in my four years. We made the playoffs for the first time in school history and it was fun to be a part of that,” said the 1982 Searsport graduate.
He said he learned how to coach soccer “by the seat of my pants.
“The soccer community had just started to blossom so I took a course with them. I got around some good people and watched,” said Johnson.
It didn’t take him long to realize that coaching was a relationship and not the X’s and O’s.
“Anyone can learn the X’s and O’s of the game within reason if they have the aptitude for it. I had some knowledge of the game because I had played it,” said Johnson.
He also had the benefit of coaching basketball at Bangor High under highly successful longtime coach Roger Reed.
“I’ve learned from Roger and a lot of the staff. There has been a residual effect. So many good coaches have come through here over the years. You could learn how to run a program very easily by watching Roger … how to treat kids and the fairness and justice of it all.”
Over the years, Johnson said he has come to understand the importance of having fun with coaching while still working hard.
He considers himself demanding, but fair. He always focuses on improvement.
Assistant Mark Boulier, who has been with Johnson since he became the head coach, had two daughters, Erin and Allison, who played for Johnson. He said they “loved playing for him.
“He relates well with the girls. He is an extreme motivator. He builds the cohesiveness of the team. The chemistry he builds among the team is one of the biggest recipes to our success,” said Boulier.
And it’s not just about the game.
“He definitely pushes us but not because he gets pleasure out of yelling at us, he just want us to see how good we can be,” said senior back Grace Morris.
“He is very straightforward and blunt. He doesn’t hide how he feels about situations. He is a very respectable man who wants nothing but the best for us. He always talks to us about respect and love and caring for each other outside of soccer,” she added.
Senior striker and midfielder Katie Butler, who also plays basketball for Johnson, called him a “great person and motivator.
“I know if I ever need anything in the future, he’ll be there for me,” said Butler. “He definitely wants to win but he stresses that we play the game right and that we’re good people.”
“He is a great role model,” said senior goalie Maddy Hodgdon. “His work ethic rubs off on all of us and that makes us a real good team.”
Hodgdon noted that Johnson can be a “goofball” from time to time on the sidelines.
“If they trust you and believe you have their best interest in mind, no matter if they agree with what you’re saying or not, they’re going to respond in a positive way,” said Johnson, who teaches health at Bangor High.
“He cares about us as if we were his daughters,” said senior midfielder Megan Conner.
Bangor has a productive summer program that has helped fuel its success. Youngsters in grades 6-12 grade work out two hours a day, three days a week, at the high school.
There usually are 40-50 girls.
“He makes it fun. It’s a good time,” said Butler.
Johnson doesn’t believe in having captains. He expects his seniors to provide the leadership, which is something he learned from Reed.
He cherishes every state championship.
“It’s very special because they are so hard to get. Not only do you have to play well on that particular day, the breaks have to go your way,” Johnson said.
Bangor beat Scarborough to win its first state title in 2011 and topped Gorham 2-0 last fall.
This season, the Rams are 9-0 and atop the Class A North Heal Point standings.
With Bangor’s success, Johnson has tried to remain humble. He said he has benefitted from the growth of soccer and the club programs in the Bangor community and that he has been blessed with talented players and dedicated parents.
“I’m lucky enough to be the one up here when they get here (the high school),” he grinned.