Brooks Johnson (born February 28, 1934) is a former
sprinter and a current American track coach.
Early life
Johnson was a track star for his high school in
Plymouth, Massachusetts.
[http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/08/Sports/QA_with_Olympic_sprin.shtml "Q&A with Olympic sprint coach Brooks Johnson", Dave Scheiber, Times Staff Writer, Tampa Bay Times, February 8, 2008.] His father shined shoes in
Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, and his mother was a housemaid.
[George Diaz]
"An Olympic legacy etched in a 'benevolent dictatorship'"
''Orlando Sentinel'' (June 23, 2012).
Life as an athlete
After high school, Johnson attended
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...
. He describes his track career there as having more "lowlights than highlights."
He did achieve some success as an athlete there, including notably a gold medal as a member of the 4 × 100 m relay at the
1963 Pan American Games
The 1963 Pan American Games were held from April 20 to May 5, 1963, in São Paulo, Brazil.
Host city selection
For the first time, two cities submitted bids to host the 1963 Pan American Games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports O ...
(with
Ira Murchison,
Ollan Cassell
Ollan Conn Cassell (born October 5, 1937) is an American sprinter in the 1950s and 1960s, winning a gold medal in the men's 4 × 400 m relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics. In his early 30s, Cassell later became the executive director of the Amate ...
and
Earl Young), but injury curtailed his career.
He was not a member of the USA track team for the 1964 Olympics; he was involved in an automobile accident on the way to the qualifying meet at
Stanford University.
Early coaching career
Johnson earned a J.D. degree from the
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School is the law school of the University of Chicago, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is consistently ranked among the best and most prestigious law schools in the world, and has many dis ...
. He never practiced as a lawyer, instead working for the Governmental Affairs Institute in the
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
in Washington D.C.
Johnson thought of being a corporate lawyer but when told by the lawyer father of a school friend that "Regardless of what I think personally, my partners will say there is no room for blacks in corporate law", he realized that this color bar would mean that the law was not for him.
While in Washington, Johnson started coaching high school athletes at
St. Albans School, where he started in 1965 as coach, athletic director and teacher of cultural anthropology and history. Johnson got the job at St. Albans when, as a community organizer, he confronted the headmaster, the late Charles S. Martin, and objected that he was running “an all-white school in a black town.” To the retort "What was his solution?", Johnson replied, "I am the solution.".
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/under-brooks-johnsons-tutelage-david-oliver-clears-every-hurdle/2011/05/21/AGN5shNH_story_1.html "Under Brooks Johnson’s tutelage, David Oliver clears every hurdle", Amy Shipley, ''The Washington Post'', June 9, 2011.]
One of his pupils there was the promising young discus thrower, and future vice-president,
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic no ...
.
His school lessons were also famed for their quirkiness.
At St. Albans in 1970 he founded the Skip Grant program for students from traditionally under-represented backgrounds.
Later coaching career
Johnson spent 12 years at St. Albans before moving on to the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
(1975–79) as assistant track coach,
[http://trackmenarchives.webs.com/biographies.htm "Coach Brooks Johnson (Honorary)", The University of Florida Track & Field Archives. Retrieved July 20, 2012.] then head coach at
Stanford University (1979–92), succeeding coach
Payton Jordan
Payton Jordan (March 19, 1917 – February 5, 2009) was the head coach of the 1968 United States Olympic track and field team, one of the most powerful track teams ever assembled, which won a record twenty-four medals, including twelve golds. ...
, and
California Polytechnic State University (1993–96).
[http://chirpstory.com/li/1275 "A Quest for Wisdom - Exploring the Thoughts & Philosophy of Brooks Johnson", Clarence Gaines, chirpstory.com. Retrieved July 19, 2012.]
Johnson has coached Olympians since 1960, beginning with 110-meter hurdles silver medalist
Willie May. Since then, notable Olympians coached by Johnson include
Esther Stroy (a 15-year-old girl he trained through a neighborhood track club to get to the 1968 Olympics
),
Evelyn Ashford
Evelyn Ashford (born April 15, 1957) is an American retired track and field athlete, the 1984 Olympic champion in the 100-meter dash. She ran under the 11-second barrier over 30 times and was the first to run under 11 seconds in an Olympic Gam ...
and
Chandra Cheesborough.
In 1984 he was women's team coach for track and field at the Summer Games in Los Angeles
and relay coach in 2008.
Johnson was part of the U.S. Track and Field Olympic coaching staff in 1976, 1984, 2004, and 2008.
Johnson was elected to the USA Track Coaches Hall of Fame in 1997.
[http://www.ustfccca.org/ustfccca-hall-of-fame/ustfccca-hall-of-fame-class-of-1997/brooks-johnson-ustfccca-class-of-1997 "Brooks Johnson, USTFCCCA Class of 1997", USA Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Retrieved July 19, 2012.] Johnson also is a former director of the ARCO Olympic Training Center for the United States Olympic Team (there at its opening in 2003-04) and acted as High Performance Division Chair for
USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and ...
.
Current work
Johnson was hired by the Disney Corporation in 1996 "to jump-start a fledging sports program". He is still an active coach with a small select group of athletes that has included
Justin Gatlin
Justin Alexander Gatlin (born February 10, 1982) is a retired American sprinter who competed in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. He is the 2004 Olympic Champion in the 100 meters, the 2005 and 2017 World Champion in the 100 meters, the ...
, Tiffany Williams and
David Oliver. "It is actually quite easy because a lot of the problems have already been resolved," Johnson said of his athletes, "these people were outstanding with Olympic credentials before they ever came here, so they know their way to the podium. Our job is to retrace the steps back to the podium."
[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/77-y-o-American-coach-handpicks-athletes--relies-on-group-dynamics_8688233 "77-y-o American coach handpicks athletes, relies on group dynamics", Paul A Reid, Jamaica Observer, April 19, 2011.] Johnson is currently based at the
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a multi-purpose sports complex located in the Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort, in Bay Lake, Florida, Bay Lake, Florida, United States, near Orlando, Florida, Orlando. The complex includes ni ...
at
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...
, usually to be found in his "signature beige straw hat".
On the future, Johnson does not plan to retire, as he said, "I like kicking (butt).I like to win, my whole life has been competitive," and he will continue "until they throw dirt in my face".
Accolades and awards
In 2018, Johnson was given the USA Track and Field Legend Coach Award.
[http://www.legacy.usatf.org/News/Venerable-four-time-Team-USATF-coach-Brooks-Johnso.aspx "Venerable four-time Team USATF coach Brooks Johnson selected as 2018 Legend Coach" USA Track & Field press release, June 14, 2018][https://www.stalbansschool.org/news-detail?pk=1190154&fromId=225216 'BROOKS JOHNSON NAMED USATF’S “LEGEND COACH"', St Albans School Alumni News, June 26, 2018.]
In 2010, Johnson was named Nike Coach of the Year by USA Track and Field.
[http://www.legacy.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?DUID=USATF_2010_11_23_13_52_05 "Johnson named Nike Coach of the Year", USA Track & Field press release, November 23, 2010, ]
Criticism
In 1992, one of Johnson's former athletes at Stanford University went public with her criticisms of Johnson's treatment of students.
[Tish Williams]
"Baring Brooks Johnson's Bitter Legacy"
''The Stanford Daily'' (December 3, 1992): 6.
References
External links
"Interview with Brooks Johnson", speedendurance.com"Brooks Johnson (Soundbites)", Wide World of Sports News
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Brooks
1934 births
Living people
American male sprinters
Athletes (track and field) at the 1963 Pan American Games
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
Track and field athletes from Massachusetts
Medalists at the 1963 Pan American Games
Tufts University alumni