Mark Johnson honored for career victories
4/14/2010 4:05:00 PM | Baseball
By Gene Schallenberg Huntsville Item
HUNTSVILLE - Baseball is often known as a game of failures, but Mark Johnson is one of the few college baseball coaches to experience a wealth of success.
Before Tuesday night's game against Rice, Johnson, who earned his 1,000th career win as a head coach when Sam Houston rallied to defeat Texas-San Antonio 8-6 on March 28, was honored with a home plate-shaped plaque for his achievement.
Johnson coached at Texas A&M for 21 seasons and led the Aggies to three Southwest Conference and two Big 12 championships and two College World Series appearances, compiling an 876-447-3 record.
"I was a Johnson fan when he was at A&M," said longtime Bearkats baseball fan Ron Gardner. "I couldn't believe it when they let him go. He brought this team together ... His 21 years at A&M speak for the experience that he brings. He brought the same kind of success here. You definitely can see the turnaround."
Prior to having Johnson taking over as head coach in 2007, the Bearkats sat uncomfortably near the bottom of the Southland Conference for years.
Over the past three and a half seasons, the transformation of the Sam Houston State baseball program has been like night and day.
In Johnson's first year at the helm, Sam Houston advanced to the Southland Conference tournament for the first time since 2000. As the fourth seed, the Bearkats rolled through the Southland Conference unscathed to win the tournament championship and earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals.
The Bearkats accomplished the same feat in 2008 and once again as the seventh seed last year
"Sam Houston is lucky to have coach Johnson. Not only do I think that he is the best baseball coach, I think he may be the best coach. I'd put him up against anybody in any sport," said Scott McCarley, a longtime booster for the Sam Houston athletics program.
"He's a great coach and a good man. That's important when you send young men to college. We couldn't be any luckier."
Johnson's ability to motivate his players at the right time is one aspect that makes him have as much success as he has attained.
"I think it's his attitude," said Gary Gallant, whose son, Dallas, is in his junior season with the Bearkats. "You have to believe you can win. I think you have to have fun, too. If you have fun and have a positive attitude and work hard, you're going to be all right. If you think you can win, then you're going to win. I think that kind of positive thinking has helped Sam turn it around these past couple of years."
Johnson, who picked up his first victory as an NCAA Division I head coach when Texas A&M defeated Northeast Louisiana 10-1 on February 24, 1985, stands No. 15 among active Division I head coaches in total victories with his 1,000 career wins.
"Winning 1,000 games was never something I set out to do when I got into coaching," Johnson said. "I wanted to win championships and go to the playoffs and the 1,000 victories just happened. I have several very close friends who are in the group of coaches that have won 1,000 games, so its good to join the group.
"I've had the priviledge to work for two great universities with outstanding facilities and quality young men. I've always had outstanding assistants and outstanding players. It's the players that win games for you. Also, my faith has given me a peace to accept both the losses and wins with humility. That's something that has allowed me to enjoy the game of baseball for so many years."
The Bearkats return to Don Sanders Stadium Friday, April 23, for a 6:30 p.m. Southland Conference encounter with Nicholls. Tickets for Sam Houston State baseball home games are on sale online at www.gobearkats.com.
The Sam Houston State athletic ticket office in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office telephone number is 936 294-1729.
Fans also can order exciting Sam Houston State gear at Bearkat Gear link on www.gobearkats.com.
