Millsap's Coach Johnson relishes his 'calling'

Feb. 21—MILLSAP — Millsap Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Jacob Johnson doesn't see his role as an occupation.

"This is not a job — it's a calling," he said. "I tell anyone I'm interviewing, if you're just wanting to try it out, you ain't gonna work for me.

"I don't care how much you love football. I want to know how much you're going to invest in the lives of these young people, because that's what it's about."

Johnson had an early introduction into the coaching world as a graduate assistant at his alma matter, Southwest Baptist University in Boliver, Missouri.

"You learn how to work as a GA in the coaching field," he recalls.

When Johnson's old offensive line coach from college got the head coaching gig at an area high school in 2005 and called Johnson to come with him, he didn't hesitate.

"My very first year, we go to the state championship and I'm like, 'Oh, this is easy!'" he said. "We lost by six points, and we threw a pick-six. I'll never forget it."

From 2005 to 2010, Johnson spent time at various high schools in roles as a defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

"I've always been ambitious, ready for the next challenge," the head coach said. "And my wife, her dad was in the oil and gas business so she was used to moving around.

"Her and I had a lot of fun going around, being with different teams."

The lack of stability meant the Johnsons weren't quite ready for children. But that changed with the birth of their daughter 2007 and their son in 2010.

With the family connection and Johnson being a football coach, moving to Texas seemed the natural next step.

"When I came back and started coaching, I began coaching with the purpose of getting back into college coaching," he said. "But after three to four years of coaching high school ...

"I've had a couple of opportunities back then, and in the last couple of years, but God really changed my heart and I'm passionate about these high school kids."

His first coaching gig in the Lone Star State came at Arlington Heights under Head Coach Ged Cates. When Cates took the reins in Richland two years later, Johnson went with him.

It was the longest Johnson had spent in one location until he came to Millsap.

"We were never anywhere more than two or three years," Johnson said of his early coaching days. "Our first three years, we bought and sold two, three houses."

He first donned the maroon and white seven years ago, and has been invested in the Millsap community ever since.

"I never dreamed I'd be here this long, but the Lord has really put a passion for this place on my heart, and I don't feel like I ever have to work," Johnson said. "You go somewhere as a coach, and you're all in, but you never know long you're going to be there."

The mutual love between Johnson and the Millsap community was on full display recently, as Johnson received an outpouring of prayers, messages, calls and support after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia just a few weeks ago.

As he usually does, Johnson expressed his faith in his upcoming journey, while thanking his supporters on Twitter: "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the same God fighting for me and all of us! I am blessed to see him work, and my children will share in his testimony!"

When he first became a Bulldog, Johnson was hired as the head football coach.

His background as a strength coach plays a pivotal role in day-to-day operations during the season.

"I plan for 'peak performance' and our schedule is Saturday to Friday — it's very intentional," Johnson said. "Let's say your top speed is 17 mph. When we get to Friday, I don't want you at 17. I want you at 18 or 19, and we can do that."

The philosophy is to load the body on the front end, placing the physical load on Monday and Tuesday to start recovery on Wednesday.

"On Thursday, we start to get our nervous system geared up to being fast. We do a sprint-through, everything is fast," he said. "I want the body coming back up because what happens is your body is going to super-compensate for this workload, so when it's recovered, you're going to be up here on Friday.

"That's a scientific principal of athletic training that I've studied a lot."

When it comes to practice, Johnson and his staff work on scripting for bad things to happen.

"We purposefully script those bad scenarios because I want to see how [the players] are going to handle it and how they're doing to respond," he said. "That gives us a chance so that if it does happen on Friday, we don't freak out, we don't panic and we live to fight another day."

Other forms of preparation come in taking a focus inward, though the team will study its opponent's film.

"We have to be better at what we do than they are at what they do," Johnson said. "We know them and we study them, but we focus on us and our level of execution."

The football coaching staff will also split up during the weekend by offense and defense, before coming back together and taking a look at the game plan with a fresh set of eyes.

And while Johnson may classify his job as a calling, there's no doubt the hours he and his fellow coaches put in is anything short of a commitment.

"90-100 hours a week, and that's the minimum," he said. "You absolutely get tired, but that's where I feel it's my job to monitor my kids and coaches [to prevent burnout]. We're no good to the kids if we're tired."

That effort may sometimes involve putting limits on how many hours a coach may be at the office.

"I am not a believe in just being here to be here — let's get up here and get our work done, and when the work's done, go home," he said. "You can't get that time back with your family."

Johnson's dual role as an athletic director means there's never really any "offseason."

"During football, any free minute I'm watching film, practicing scripts, talking to coordinators or other coaches ... outside of football, it frees me up to help other coaches if they need it, and just try to keep things running smooth," he said. "It's day by day, this job. Usually you show up and there's something that needs attending to, whether its email, an equipment issue, budgeting..."

As his seventh year at Millsap winds down, Johnson continues to remember why he became a coach, beginning with what his own coaches meant to him.

"I always approached it as I want to coach because I love football and I love my coaches," he said. "When I actually became one and started to mature, my focus changed from I love football to I'm passionate about young people and investing in their lives.

"This place is like a hidden treasure — it's a great community and it's been a blessing to be here for me and my family."