Johnson Announces Intention to Retire at Conclusion of Men's Lacrosse Season
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – After coaching for nearly four decades and accumulating 488 career wins to date, St. John Fisher College men's lacrosse head coach
John C. Johnson will retire following the 2017 season, his 12th at the helm of the Cardinals' program.
Johnson began his coaching career as the head varsity boys lacrosse coach at Canandaigua High School where he led the Braves to 13 Finger Lakes League titles, six Section V titles and four Western New York Regional Championships. Johnson, who led the Braves for 26 seasons, was named the Finger Lakes Coach of the Year seven times in all and served the school district as a high school history teacher for 33 years before retiring.
The St. Bonaventure graduate came to Fisher in 2006, just the program's fifth year in existence, and made an immediate impact as the Cardinals posted a 9-8 record and qualified for the Empire 8 Championship for the first time. Since then, the Cardinals have won 10 games or more nine times including a program-best 16 wins in 2010 as Johnson led the team to the No. 1 overall seed in the Empire 8 Championship. That season marked a banner year for Fisher as the team had a 12-game winning streak and received its highest ranking in program history after being tabbed No. 11 by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.
An inductee into the Rochester Chapter of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, Johnson will conclude his career as Fisher's all-time winningest coach. His 131-64 career mark at the College puts him in elite company as his .671 winning percentage ranks 23rd among all active Division III coaches with at least five years of head coaching experience.
During his time at the helm, Johnson's teams have continually rewrote the record book. Johnson has coached 10 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association All-Americans, 61 All-Conference selections and one Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year. Fisher has reached the Empire 8 Championship nine times under his guidance including a spot in the title game in both 2009 and 2014.
Johnson will close out the regular season at home on Saturday, April 29 against Alfred University at Growney Stadium. Prior to the conference contest, Fisher will celebrate the accomplishments of its senior class.