Because they compete against spectator sports like football and
basketball, high school golf coaches rarely get famous. Ed Johnson was an
exception. Ed coached golf teams
at Northwestern and Blackhawk High Schools that accumulated a 297-47
record, including 30 section championships, eight WPIAL
championships, four WPIAL runners-up, and two WPIAL semifinalist
teams. His coaching career at Northwestern covered the years 1963 to
1972 and at Blackhawk from 1973 to 1985. While his boys’ teams at
Northwestern and Blackhawk chalked up a combined total of 187 wins
and 39 losses, it was as coach of the powerful Blackhawk girls’ golf
teams that Ed had his greatest success, compiling a 106-8
record. His Blackhawk girls’ teams won seven WPIAL
golf titles from 1974 to 1985 and were runners-up four times.
Blackhawk superintendent of
Jack Fullen paid the
ultimate tribute to Coach Johnson: “Ed was to golf what
Larry Bruno
of Beaver Falls was to football and what
Ed Olkowski of Midland and
Ed McClusky of Farrell were to basketball.” Ed Johnson was also an
outstanding golfer in his own right. A native of Fairmont, West
Virginia, he was the No 1 player on the West Virginia University
golf team in 1941 and 1942. After service as a Marine pilot in World
War II, he played on the Ohio State University golf team in 1946 and
1947 and set a course record of 31 on the par 35 Fairmont course. He
was also a consistent winner at the Beaver Valley Country Club for
many years. Ed Johnson died in 1985 at age 65.
Because they compete against spectator sports like football and
basketball, high school golf coaches rarely get famous. Ed Johnson was an
exception. Ed coached golf teams
at Northwestern and Blackhawk High Schools that accumulated a 297-47
record, including 30 section championships, eight WPIAL
championships, four WPIAL runners-up, and two WPIAL semifinalist
teams. His coaching career at Northwestern covered the years 1963 to
1972 and at Blackhawk from 1973 to 1985. While his boys’ teams at
Northwestern and Blackhawk chalked up a combined total of 187 wins
and 39 losses, it was as coach of the powerful Blackhawk girls’ golf
teams that Ed had his greatest success, compiling a 106-8
record. His Blackhawk girls’ teams won seven WPIAL
golf titles from 1974 to 1985 and were runners-up four times.
Blackhawk superintendent of