Todd Johnson ’87 made the Catholic Central varsity golf team in his senior year and developed into an accomplished golfer. After high school he moved on to play a year at Olivet then transferred to Eastern Michigan (EMU) where he played three (3) more years. He qualified for two (2) United States (US) Amateur championships and won the Horton Smith / Michigan Medal Play Championship in 1991. He turned professional and earned his Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) club professional membership which he kept active for six years.
Todd’s CC legacy is coaching hockey. He joined CC Hall of Fame Coach Gordon St. John’s staff for the 1996-97 season. Todd was an assistant for the next three (3) seasons and in 1999 he was named co-head coach with St. John who commented: “Todd is a great competitor and was invaluable in the success of our program. I will always be grateful to Todd for his fierce dedication to Catholic Central hockey.” As an assistant coach Todd had helped lead the Shamrocks to Division 1 state championships in 1997 and 1999. As co-head coach with Gordon St. John in 2000, 2001, and 2002 and as head coach in 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2014. During his 18 years at CC, the Shamrocks made 12 Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) finals earning 10 state championships and becoming the only Michigan high school team to win five (5) in a row. Overall, during this era, CC’s winning percentage was over .800% and averaged over 20 wins a season. The team earned multiple Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League (MIHL) and Catholic High School League (CHSL) titles.
In addition, Coach Johnson played an integral part in organizing the MIHL Showcase in Trenton. He has received Multiple Coach of the Year Honors. In 2011, Todd was a finalist for the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSHSA) coach of the year. In 2018, Coach Todd Johnson was inducted into the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association (MHSHCA) Hall of Fame.
As they say “A good coach improves your game. But a great coach improves your life.” Todd Johnson had a huge impact on CC hockey players. He is proud to have helped many outstanding players fulfill dreams of playing juniors/college/pros (NCAA, NHL, Europe) through high school hockey. He is also proud of the CC hockey Alumni giving back by returning to help maintain its tradition.
Todd is especially grateful for the support of his wife Amy and their three (3) children Evan, Emma, and Jack. He believes their encouragement played a vital role in his success.
We congratulate Todd Johnson for a stellar coaching career at CC not only for the wins and championships but also the “first class” way he represented Mary Alma Mater.
