Jim Johnson

Biography

Coach Jim Johnson is a high school basketball coach and motivational speaker. His story of giving an autistic boy ("J-Mac") on his team the chance to make his dream come true has captivated the hearts of millions of Americans.

Coach Jim Johnson has been featured on:
OPRAH
ESPN
The JIM ROME SHOW
and dozens of other national TV and radio programs.

Jim's story is so inspiring, he was invited to meet with President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Coach Jim Johnsons message is positive: Dreams Really Do Come True!

Based on what transpired in a few short moments in early 2006, Coach Jim Johnson is now an authority on the subject of realizing your dreams. In his many public-speaking appearances, the Rochester, New York resident relates his role in a basketball game that got Hollywood calling. He also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship, delivering his talks with a heartfelt style that has brought audiences to their feet.

Coach Johnson has developed winning high-school basketball teams for nearly 25 years, taking over three losing varsity programs and turning them into winners in short periods of time. Of his 307 career victories, one in particular will surely never be duplicated.

On Feb. 15, 2006, Coach Johnson made the kindhearted gesture of inserting his autistic manager, Jason McElwain, now known to the world as J-Mac into Greece Athena High School's final home game, which the Trojans won 79-43. J-Mac scored 20 points in just over four minutes, including six three-point baskets, to become an instant national celebrity. Coach Johnson, also, was featured in major news outlets around the country.

To make the Hollywood ending complete, Greece Athena captured the first Section 5 title of Coach Johnson's career a few weeks later. A second sectional crown followed in 2007, and Coach Johnson then coached the Trojans to their third straight league title in 2008 by posting a perfect 12-0 record in league play, netting Coach of the Year honors. His success continued in 2009 with a league co-championship (34-2 league record the past three seasons) and third sectional title in four years, with an overall record of 20-5, his first-ever trip to the state quarterfinals and more Coach of the Year accolades.

Coach Johnson has made a number of radio and television appearances, including the Oprah Winfrey and Jim Rome shows. In 2006 he met President George W. Bush, Governor George Pataki, and Senator Hillary Clinton, to name just a few luminaries. The Athena team was also paid a visit at school by NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who is involved in making the J-Mac story into a major motion picture. J-Mac's magic moment won the ESPY for "Best Sports Moment" at the ESPN awards show later that year. And, both J-Mac and Coach Johnson will be prominently featured in a movie currently in development by Columbia Pictures depicting the 2005-06 miracle season.

Coach Johnson was named Coach of the Year in 2006 by several Rochester-area organizations, and was also presented with a National Sportsmanship Award. These honors brought to light an impressive body of work over the past two decades. His career record is now 307-188, with divisional titles in 1996, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and again in 2009. He has had winning seasons in 15 of the last 16 years, finishing .500 the other year.

Magic was once again in the air this past season as Coach Johnsons Greece Athena team rallied from 20 points down with a little more than a quarter to play to win its state-qualifier game. Perhaps not so coincidentally, J-Mac was on the bench for that monumental victory: he returned to the Trojans this past season as a volunteer assistant coach, and expects to be back in the same role in 2009-10. He and Coach Johnson were also featured in a lengthy CBS Sports feature that aired during the 2009 Final Four.

Coach Johnson has rolled his accomplishments and experiences into a presentation, "Dreams Really Do Come True," which he gives to various business and civic organizations around the country. His one-hour talk also emphasizes "The Essence of Teamwork" and "The Ultimate Level of Sportsmanship." For instance, he likes to point out that J-Macs big night was made possible by unselfish teammates who kept passing him the ball even though they hadn't been instructed to do so. He also notes how the game video captures Athena bench players going as wild as the crowd with every J-Mac basket.

Coach Johnson, 50, lives in Greece with his wife of 27 years, Pat, and their son Tyler, 19. He is a physical-education teacher at Athena and has served 13 seasons as the Trojans varsity coach.

Publications

A Coach and a Miracle: Life Lessons From a Man Who Believed in an Autistic Boy

During this era of war, economic crises and other woes, many folks may be wondering if miracles are still possible. In his new book A Coach and a Miracle: Life Lessons From a Man Who Believed in an Autistic Boy (Beacon Publishing), Coach Jim Johnson gives readers hope with a resounding "yes" based on his own role in one of the past decade`s most inspirational news stories that is observing its fifth anniversary.

Flash back to February 15, 2006. As players and hundreds of basketball fans rushed the floor to engulf the smallest player, Coach Johnson remained rooted in place, still in shock over what he had just witnessed.

He had inserted 5-foot-7-inch, 120-pound Jason McElwain in the fourth quarter of Greece Athena High School`s final home game, as a show of appreciation for Jason`s dedication as team manager. "J-Mac" nicknamed as such by Coach Johnson promptly poured in twenty points in the game`s final 3:11. Even more shocking, Jason is autistic and learning disabled and was playing in his first and only varsity game.

This scoring outburst turned J-Mac and his coach into overnight celebrities. Coach Johnson calls it a modern-day miracle a timeless, feel-good story that God wanted to share with the world. In A Coach and a Miracle, Coach Johnson offers behind-the-scenes looks at his role in helping J-Mac shed a lifetime of social isolation; internal team strife that nearly led to his resignation early in the 2005-06 season; his personal quest for a sectional title after several near-misses; and excerpts from hundreds of emotional letters he received from parents of children with disabilities, to people in tough life circumstances who expressed how the miracle night gave them hope. Coach Johnson ties all these elements together by conveying vital life lessons on goal-setting, perseverance and teamwork.

Titles

Dreams Really Do Come True
Coach Johnson shares one of the most inspiring and heart warming stories of the 21st century. He shares his six essential keys: Passion, Mission, Goal setting, Perseverance, Carpe Diem, and be a team player to help each audience member have their Dreams come true.

Leadership That Makes Dreams Come True
Leadership that makes dreams come true". Coach Johnson shares the remarkable story of J-Mac and his six leadership keys that has helped his teams to immense success. Become an extraordinary leader by learning how to clarify your vision, build trust, creating an edge, communicating effectively, leading by example, and leaving a profit.