Pat Johnston works hard for SLOHS’ football teams. Photo courtesy of local photographer Owen Main.
The journey of Head Football Coach Pat Johnston has been everything but easy so Expressions took a deep dive into what his journey has looked like for him and how he got to San Luis Obispo High School.
“Coach Johnston having Division I experience playing and coaching is what takes his coaching to the next level,” said senior quarterback Jacob Gill.
For Johnston, football has always been more than just a game.
“Football did a lot for me growing up, my dad was a football coach at the college level and then at the high school level for about thirty years, and I grew up around the sport. He taught me a lot of good, valuable lessons as a young person, and I just loved the sport so much that I wanted to give something back to it,” said Johnston.
Much of his passion and style comes from those who guided him along the way.
“Obviously my dad was a coach, so he was a big influence, but probably one of the biggest mentors I’ve had in coaching was named Ian Shields. He was our offensive coordinator at Cal Poly. It’s who I started my coaching career working for. I also worked under head coach Rich Ellerson and then for head coach Tim Walsh. They’re all pretty powerful influences on the way I operate,” said Johnston.
Johnston time and time again has shown up to lead SLOHS’ Tigers to victory as well as leaving a positive mark on each player.
“He unintentionally taught me the value of family. Through his dedication to his family as a father and husband throughout the season he set a pretty high standard for how you should conduct yourself as a father and as a leader. From him, I learned that passion is an incredible feeling to utilize when being in a position like he is in where he’s not just a father figure but a coach too. Coming into the building everyday with the same drive takes a lot of work, and seeing how consistent he was with his passion and drive with the team and his family was very inspiring,” said SLOHS alumni Henry Crew IV.
Johnston’s greatest victories aren’t on the scoreboard, but in the lives of players and students that he has guided, leaving them with lessons and discipline to carry throughout life.