Thomas Johnson hires Beau Traber as new football coach

Jan. 27—Beau Traber tends to make his presence known.

As an all-conference middle linebacker at Bucknell University, he said every article written about him contained the obligatory qualifier that he was "one of the most vocal players on the Bison."

"I bring a ton of energy into anything I am passionate about," he said. "I can't help it."

Those personality traits often translate well into leadership positions.

Traber was a captain on his high school team in Norman, Oklahoma, he was a captain at Bucknell, and now he's just launched himself into a new one as the varsity head football coach at Thomas Johnson High School.

His first official day on the job was Friday.

"Beau is a very intelligent young man," TJ athletic director Mike Chavez said of the 32-year-old Traber. "He has a depth of knowledge of football. He's grown up and been around football all of his life. ... In my conversations with other people about him, they said he was almost like another coach on the field when he played because he knew so much about every position."

After moving to Frederick with his fiancée, Kristen, Traber started as a volunteer assistant with the TJ football program last season before being promoted to defensive coordinator near the midpoint of the season.

"I was looking for an opportunity to give back to the community in some sort of way," he said. "I reached out to the [athletic directors] at a couple schools around here. Mr. Chavez was one of the first people to get back to me. TJ happens to be the closest high school to me. It's a nice little bike ride over there."

Traber succeeds Bobby Humphries, who stepped away from the job for personal reasons after five seasons at his alma mater.

During that time, Humphries shepherded the TJ football program through some of its lowest and most-difficult moments, including the cancelation of the 2019 season after one game due to a lack of players along with safety concerns.

He also played a prominent role in reestablishing the school's feeder program, Thomas Johnson Youth Athletic Association (TJYAA).

"I think the world of Bobby. I have known Bobby for a long time, even when I was there as the assistant principal," Chavez said. "I can't thank him enough for who he has been. He had to be at the helm at a difficult time. We had shut the program down. Then, we had COVID as we tried to rebuild ... I can't thank him enough for stepping in and running that program and keeping us afloat."

This past season, Thomas Johnson had close to 100 kids come out for its football program, as the Patriots finished 1-9 for the second consecutive season.

The difficulty of the task ahead is not lost on Traber.

"Anything that is a challenge is an opportunity," he said. "We have a bunch of great, awesome kids. Last year was an eye-opening experience for me. It made me realize that these kids deserve success."

The son of former Baltimore Orioles first baseman/outfielder Jim Traber, Beau has always managed to squeeze the most out of his own ability and opportunities.

He excelled at middle linebacker despite being the size of a defensive back, 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds.

Traber credits the Olympic weight-lifting program he began during his freshman year of high school for opening his eyes to his potential.

"I knew what hard work was. I was outworking a lot of people," he said. "But, once I started Olympic weight lifting, I started to work a lot smarter. I turned into being a very smart and technical player."

Now Traber will be counted out to bring out the best in his players.

"Being able to utilize the knowledge and experience I have, I want to teach these kids about the values of hard work and everything that football can teach you as well, being a part of a team and everything that comes along with that. I want to build a program that will make the community proud."

Follow Greg Swatek on Twitter: @greg_swatek