Johnson Stepping Down As Chesapeake Field Hockey Coach

Joan Johnson is stepping down as Chesapeake field hockey coach.

“Chesapeake High School would like to thank Coach Johnson for her dedication and commitment to our school and athletic department over the last seven years,” said Chesapeake athletic director Chip Snyder. “She rebuilt our field hockey program and has made it one of the best in the state.”

Johnson is stepping away from the demands of running a top-tier program to have more time with family. Her oldest daughter, Courtney, graduated from Chesapeake in 2015; her middle daughter, Caitlyn, is a senior at Chesapeake; and her son, John, is a sophomore at Chesapeake and involved with theater.

“The time is right,” said Johnson. “We brought the program back to where it was when I played. I’ll miss 6 a.m. practices. I’ll still help wherever I can.”

Johnson comprised a record of 75-37-1 since taking over as coach in 2013. She turned a program that had fallen down to the bottom rungs of the county ladder into a perennial power in Anne Arundel County and the state. The team won only five games in 2012, the year prior to her arrival, but the program steadily ascended to one of the state’s best once Johnson took the helm.

In her tenure, the Cougars won two county championships and four region championships while appearing in the state tournament for four straight years from 2015 to 2018. The Cougars won the program’s first state championship in 2016 and repeated as state champs in 2017. Chesapeake made its third consecutive state-final appearance in 2018.

Johnson played at Chesapeake from 1979 to 1982 under Jerry Taylor, who remains a lifelong friend, “like I hope some of my players will be with me,” said Johnson.

Johnson became emotional discussing the relationships and memories of coaching the program for the past seven years.

“The kids, the families,” said Johnson, asked what she’ll remember fondly. “Obviously the championships. I’ll have two rings forever.

“It’s been a great ride.”

Candidates interested in applying for the role of head field hockey coach at Chesapeake should contact Chip Snyder at esnyder@aacps.org.