Damian Johnson to Benilde-St. Margaret

Donate To GopherHole

Good for him and would expect they will improve under his coaching.
 



This is a sad day for North. Damian was building something there and now the kids who need his mentorship are left hanging while white privilege school gets their coach. It's disappointing, but I suppose Damian felt he needed to climb the ladder. I really have no clue what motivated him to take that job instead of staying at North.
Respect his game and coaching, just disappointed.
 


MennoSota said:
This is a sad day for North. Damian was building something there and now the kids who need his mentorship are left hanging while white privilege school gets their coach. It's disappointing, but I suppose Damian felt he needed to climb the ladder. I really have no clue what motivated him to take that job instead of staying at North.
Respect his game and coaching, just disappointed.
Click to expand...
Have a friend on the North board. Johnson wanted to work closer to where he lives. He had his kids sitting on the bench during the game vs Spring Lake Park at the Breakdown. It was something he had to do a few times because his wife was working.
 

GopherPlaya said:
Have a friend on the North board. Johnson wanted to work closer to where he lives. He had his kids sitting on the bench during the game vs Spring Lake Park at the Breakdown. It was something he had to do a few times because his wife was working.
Click to expand...
Better pay, possibility of his children going to school there. Ton of possibilities. Recruiting.
 


Tough loss for North....but I'm happy for DJ. Absolutely one of my favourite Gophers of all time. Not the most talented player we've ever had....but probably the most intelligent and hardest working player we've ever had. He did all of the little things that make good players great. Perfect skill set for someone going into coaching....because there's little doubt that he'll get the most out of his players.
 



Great move for BSM. Good for DJ.

Go Gophers!!
 

I swear, NSP was almost instantly a contender the moment he started coaching there. This past season might have been his most impressive. They'd lost some talent and looked pretty bad early. By the end of the season they were playing great. The sky continues to be the limit for this guy. He's a born coach.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I swear, NSP was almost instantly a contender the moment he started coaching there. This past season might have been his most impressive. They'd lost some talent and looked pretty bad early. By the end of the season they were playing great. The sky continues to be the limit for this guy. He's a born coach.
Click to expand...

He followed Joe Janquart at North who is very good as well and now at
Lakeville South so there was a foundation already set. That being said he did a nice job at NSP. If his goal is to win more then BSM is the better job, but he was so good for NSP so it is sad to see him go.
 

manderson1984 said:
He followed Joe Janquart at North who is very good as well and now at
Lakeville South so there was a foundation already set. That being said he did a nice job at NSP. If his goal is to win more then BSM is the better job, but he was so good for NSP so it is sad to see him go.
Click to expand...
Great post, more facts. And as you said it is very sad for so many at SPN. Now it is great chance for the next person to make a difference in the lives of young people.
 



I wish Damian had stayed at North St Paul (that's NSP for those who actually know something about the school and watched Damian's teams play). He will be missed by those North side kids who could use his mentorship.
Benilde, they just keep buying their way up like all private schools. Got no respect for BSM.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

MennoSota said:
I wish Damian had stayed at North St Paul (that's NSP for those who actually know something about the school and watched Damian's teams play). He will be missed by those North side kids who could use his mentorship.
Benilde, they just keep buying their way up like all private schools. Got no respect for BSM.
Click to expand...

Damian has to do what's best for him.
 

MennoSota said:
I wish Damian had stayed at North St Paul (that's NSP for those who actually know something about the school and watched Damian's teams play). He will be missed by those North side kids who could use his mentorship.
Benilde, they just keep buying their way up like all private schools. Got no respect for BSM.
Click to expand...
Why cant he mentor kids at BSM? He was at EP before NSP. He had a good relationship with kids there
 

MennoSota said:
This is a sad day for North. Damian was building something there and now the kids who need his mentorship are left hanging while white privilege school gets their coach. It's disappointing, but I suppose Damian felt he needed to climb the ladder. I really have no clue what motivated him to take that job instead of staying at North.
Respect his game and coaching, just disappointed.
Click to expand...
you got something against a black man trying to better his life? Racist.
 

GopherPlaya said:
Why cant he mentor kids at BSM? He was at EP before NSP. He had a good relationship with kids there
Click to expand...

I get what Menosota is saying in the fact that Damian was such a positive African American role model for the kids at NSP. I don't think anyone is mad as it's closer to home for Damian and it's a better job, but it's ok for someone to wish that a group of predominantly undeserved students wouldn't have lost a strong male presence.
He is a strong enough leader that he will be a positive influence anywhere that he is.
 

manderson1984 said:
I get what Menosota is saying in the fact that Damian was such a positive African American role model for the kids at NSP. I don't think anyone is mad as it's closer to home for Damian and it's a better job, but it's ok for someone to wish that a group of predominantly undeserved students wouldn't have lost a strong male presence.
He is a strong enough leader that he will be a positive influence anywhere that he is.
Click to expand...
I got you. But looking at how his players have tweeted their support, looks like he has great relationships with those kids
 

Another poster referred to a "white privilege school" to which I responded "white privilege lol". My post was taken down. Well respected Thomas Sowell and other black thinkers believe white privilege is not a thing. Just seems that in the intetest of fairness either both our posts should have been taken down or both let stand.
 

theczar said:
you got something against a black man trying to better his life? Racist.
Click to expand...
LOL, I have a distain for private, privileged schools, that I admit. I think working in public schools is more effective and better for meeting the goal of equity for all. So, it's actually the opposite of your ignorant claim.
I respect Damian as a coach and former player. I wish he hadn't sold out to privileged private school.
 

MennoSota said:
LOL, I have a distain for private, privileged schools, that I admit. I think working in public schools is more effective and better for meeting the goal of equity for all. So, it's actually the opposite of your ignorant claim.
I respect Damian as a coach and former player. I wish he hadn't sold out to privileged private school.
Click to expand...
Your the one who made the ignorant racist post! LOL
 


MennoSota said:
LOL, I have a distain for private, privileged schools, that I admit. I think working in public schools is more effective and better for meeting the goal of equity for all. So, it's actually the opposite of your ignorant claim.
I respect Damian as a coach and former player. I wish he hadn't sold out to privileged private school.
Click to expand...
It’s really embarrassing callin him a sell out for an opportunity to be closer to home. It’s not like he wasn’t doing a lot for the kids while he was there. All the parents at NSP talk about how much time he invested with the kids. He used to provide rides for kids who had attendance issues. He lives in near MPLS. Commuting back and forth while being a dad to 3 or 4 kids I think and apparently one more on the way, has to be tough
 


golf said:
Another poster referred to a "white privilege school" to which I responded "white privilege lol". My post was taken down. Well respected Thomas Sowell and other black thinkers believe white privilege is not a thing. Just seems that in the intetest of fairness either both our posts should have been taken down or both let stand.
Click to expand...

Incredible that some people still feel this way with the current state of things. You're kinda telling on yourself here.
 


GopherPlaya said:
I got you. But looking at how his players have tweeted their support, looks like he has great relationships with those kids
Click to expand...
Exactly which is why I’m sad those kids will lose him. Fully understand why he left and his for players do too as it shows in Twitter
 

Congrats to DJ! He has every right to make the best move for himself and his family. I was hoping that his next gig would be on Pitino's staff, but this is a good move. Maybe the next gopher coach will look at DJ and recognize his leadership, coaching skills and local connections and put him on his staff.
 

jamiche said:
Congrats to DJ! He has every right to make the best move for himself and his family. I was hoping that his next gig would be on Pitino's staff, but this is a good move. Maybe the next gopher coach will look at DJ and recognize his leadership, coaching skills and local connections and put him on his staff.
Click to expand...
I think DJ is on the radar of Pitino in the future and will be on others if Pitino moves or is told to move on. His profile and coaching profile will increase being at BSM too. I'm was skeptical at first, but the more I've seen of him coaching and listened to him on various podcasts talk about the game, I'm sold on him being a quality candidate as an assistant if it's what he wants to do.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom