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The new dean: With Smith's resignation, Johns becomes county's most tenured football coach

By Steve Winzenread | Independent Tribune

Published: May 2, 2009

Sometimes you just don't know where life is going to take you.
Mount Pleasant High School head football coach Mike Johns serves as an example.
Once upon a time, despite having his business degree, Johns wasn't getting a career going.
"I was in business for three years," he said. "I had a variety of jobs."
Then he got some good advice from his mother.
"I was laid off and it was kind of one of these epiphanies," he said. "She said, 'What do you want to do?'
"I said I'd love to go into education and be a football coach, and she said, 'Well, why don't you do it?'"
Johns also got some input from his future mother-in-law, who suggested he try the lateral-entry program at UNC Greensboro.
Johns moved to North Carolina, got engaged and married to his wife Jane (who is from High Point) and enrolled at UNCG.
So from El Paso, Texas to Atlanta to Greensboro, Johns was on his way, beginning a journey to West Stanly, East Rowan and finally Mount Pleasant.
Now look what's happened.
At age 43, Johns is the dean of head football coaches in Cabarrus County, elevated to that status following the resignation of Concord coach E.Z. Smith in January.
This fall will mark John's 11th season as head coach of the Tigers.
And he's right where he wants to be.
"It's a wonderful place to teach and coach," he said. "I feel like it's a great fit for me. I'm a relationship person. I've developed a lot of relationships with the community and the players.
"I feel like I have one of the best jobs in the state."
Under Johns, Mount Pleasant has emerged as a consistent winner.
"They'd struggled the two previous years," Johns said. "They had that good team with Dane (Honeycutt). Their numbers were down. The first thing I wanted to do was get as many athletes out as possible."
The Tigers have made the 2A playoffs the last eight seasons, advancing to the state 2AA semifinal game in 2007 and winning their first conference football title since 1982 that same year.
Along the way, Mount Pleasant has developed a reputation as a difficult playoff opponent, home or away.
"There's something special about playoff football," Johns said. "When you go on the road and play these schools you've never played before, it's exciting. It's exciting to develop a game plan. There's a renewed enthusiasm when you go into the postseason."
Longevity has a benefit all its own.
"It's fun to coach little brothers and sisters," Johns said, referring to his coaching both football and track.
"It's fun coaching kids who have gone through our youth program. I've sat out there and watched a lot of these kids play in the youth league with my sons. It's fun to watch them grow and develop.
"To me, it's like growing a tree. You watch the tree grow and you experience the fruits of your labor. ... We have a lot of young kids playing football in Mount Pleasant on Saturdays. Kids play on our field."
Johns is on track to wind up coaching at least one of his three sons each of the next eight years, starting with the 2009 football season.
In his fieldhouse office, Johns has photos of all ten of his varsity teams hanging on the wall.
"It's hard to believe," he said. "Time goes by fast. I've got all these pictures.
"Sometimes after practice I'll just catch myself looking at some of the pictures. I've got great memories of all of them. It's neat to know that I've coached all these young men. It's gone by fast."
A new challenge unfolds for the Tigers this fall when they compete in 3A, joining a conference with A.L. Brown, Central Cabarrus, Concord, Cox Mill, Hickory Ridge, Northwest Cabarrus and Jay M. Robinson.
Mount Pleasant is in the 3A league despite having 2A enrollment because the Cabarrus County Board of Education voted last September not to re-district.
"We're a little disappointed that we're going to have to be 3A with (only) 950 students," Johns said. "That's not what was originally planned. However, we're not going to complain about it. We're going to handle the cards that have been dealt to us.
"I'm excited about playing the county rivals. Shorter bus trips, bigger gates, more county interest. I think it's going to be good for the school and the community."