There isn’t much hanging on the brick walls of Mountain View football coach Matt Johnson’s new office.
Cardboard boxes, their contents wrapped in plastic or still boasting that brand-new smell, are shoved into corners, clearing a path to a handful of chairs wrapped around a table that seems just a little too big for the room.
As Johnson dives into his corner before heading out to Wayne Jones Field, he shouts instructions to his coaches for the upcoming practice.
“We’re going have to multitask,” he says, “because that’s the story of my life.”
This is the fresh start Johnson wanted.
Most coaches don’t just leave programs like Ironwood Ridge. Johnson went 85-35 in 10 seasons with the Nighthawks, bringing home the school’s first-ever state title in 2012. Johnson thanked the administration on his way out and even pitched potential replacements on the strength of this year’s team.
Then Johnson moved 3 miles away to Mountain View. His job with the Mountain Lions is the fourth head coaching job in his career, following gigs at Rincon/University, Catalina Foothills and I-Ridge. Johnson played on the offensive line at Amphitheater High School under legendary coach Vern Friedli and at NAU before going into coaching.
Johnson said he “had a blast” at I-Ridge, and left without knowing exactly what he would do next.
“I decided it was time for a change,” he said. “I thought about going to Sunnyside or being an assistant for some of the coaches here in town. Right around Christmas, I heard Mountain View was open, and I started to think about that — the opportunity to start something new but also bring a lot of my coaches over from Ironwood Ridge.”
Matt Johnson holds the Division II state championship trophy after his Ironwood Ridge team defeated Peoria Centennial 27-3 at Sun Devil Stadium in 2012. It was the first state title in I-Ridge history.
Mountain View gives him a chance to do just that. The Mountain Lions consistently posted winning seasons under Clarence “Bam” McRae, but only made it out of the first round of the playoffs once, in 2012. Johnson wants to turn that around, and with a senior-laden group, there’s an opportunity to do it quickly. The Mountain Lions open their season Aug. 23 against — who else? — Ironwood Ridge.
“We want to be No. 1,” senior cornerback Darren Stroman said. “We want to win.”
Johnson’s familiarity with Mountain View’s returning players — and the players’ familiarity with him — means he could win quickly. Last year, Johnson’s Nighthawks beat Mountain View 42-14 in the season opener. Johnson said he knows what to expect from his players, and his players understand what their coach expects.
It wasn’t always that way.
Johnson said he had to overcome misconceptions about his coaching style and personality once he arrived at Mountain View. And players admitted they were a little guarded when he arrived.
“When he came, people talked down on him,” senior running back Varney Larson said. “But since he got here, he’s just helped us out and proved everyone wrong. … He’s more of a ‘kid’ person than football. After football, he wants you to have an actual life and do what you can as a man.”
But that off-the-field focus is just the foundation.
Johnson hasn’t left his imprint on Mountain View — or on his office — just yet, and as with each of his previous stops, he’s excited to begin filling those walls with memories.
“There’s a saying in the world of coaching that maintaining is really hard,” he said, “but building is a lot of fun.”
