Rockingham Community College Baseball

One of the most fun things in sports is to recognize and celebrate the best players and coaches out there. It tends to be much easier to honor players because their performances and stats will stand out.

It's much tougher to recognize coaches who deserve the pat on the back because wins and championships tends to be the measuring stick for coaching. Victories can be misleading because most times that is about being fortunate enough to be where there is an accumulation of talent. Granted, it still takes a great effort to pull talent together and make it happen. I can tell you from experience that juco and small college baseball is one of the most uneven playing fields in all of college sports.

There are many coaches out there who are making small miracles happen in places we don't pay much attention to because so much praise is garnered on folks who happen to be settled into winning programs. Flat out I can tell you, the success of small college baseball programs is determined by the backing that the athletic department gives them.

That said, I want to take a moment to recognize the effort of one of these coaches who isn't at the type program we associate with excellent coaching. I'm talking about Chris Johnson, head baseball coach at Rockingham community college.

Rockingham has historically been considered as bad as it gets. I'm certainly not trying to insult anyone who has ever coached or played there, but I think when I explain what he has been able to accomplish in a one year period, you will understand.

When coach Johnson took over the baseball program in August 2010 there were SEVEN players on the roster and ZERO in-coming recruiting class. In less than three weeks, Chris was able to bring in almost 30 players and have enough players to field a team last Fall. He was also able to keep enough of these guys eligible to be competitive in the Spring. Anyone who keeps up with Juco baseball knows that keeping players eligible all year long is a victory in itself.

When Coach Johnson took over there was one dozen baseballs in the whole program. Most coaches order 30-50 dozen to start the fall. They had also been using the same uniforms for ten years. The on-campus baseball field that was built less than seven years ago looked like a cow pasture. No one on campus knew who was responsible for the upkeep. Coach Johnson spent his first month working to make his field safe and playable, building a year's worth of a recruiting class, and working 40 hours a week at his administrative job in the Rockingham athletic department. Chris put in more hours in a month than many coaches tally in an entire semester.

The culture and reputation of the program he inherited was so down that none of the HS coaches in the county would attend an informal seminar he put together lat winter to educate HS players on the academic requirements necessary to play at all levels of college. This summer a HS head coach from the county resigned from his job to come be Coach Johnson's assistant. In less than 8 months he completely ovehauled the program's image to local coaches, and had another coach believe in the direction they're headed enough to give up being a head coach.

One last thing...Coach Johnson is working with zero scholarships when other teams from the conference have 24 full. No matter what you're background 0 to 24 is obvious. Coach Johnson has the work ethic and charisma to recruit without scholarships. He inherited two previous programs with less than ten wins the previous year. Both teams had a 15 to 20 win improvement the very next year.

In America we tend to root for the winner no matter how they got there. That's why the Yankees have such a large fan base. But I just wanted to take this time to celebrate the best coach you have probably never heard of, and to give him the credit he would never ask for.

To Chris Johnson and the NEW Rockingham CC baseball program!!!

 

Great post. I've had the opportunity to speak with Coach Johnson a couple of times about local prospects. None of them decided to play at Rockingham but the effort he showed was great. I always mention his program when a kid asks me about community college baseball. Braves mentioned he was one of the best in the business and would succeed at Rockingham. I believe he was right (imagine that) on the money with the prediction.

Hats off to Coach Johnson and Rockingham CC. I wish them nothin but the best.

 

working hard

I met Coach Johnson for the 1st time this week at a clinic for 11 and 12 year olds in Rockingham County. He and Coach Loye took time to be with these younger ball players. I know they were in awe of a college coach helping them. These type things will only help the image of baseball at RCC. I wish Coach Johnson and his staff the best.

 

RCC

2011 Rockingham County Senior High catcher Dylan Brown has signed to play for new head coach Chris Johnson and is very excited to start playing in this new program. Also, we are expecting big things from this program coach Johnson is a great guy and Dylan has played for Coach Loye all through his high school career. This should be something great to watch, I can't wait!

 

Very well said, olefty...and very true.

By the way, I hope you haven't forgot my request of you (interview.) Just let me know when you have time

 

I am glad Chris took the program over and know he will do a great job there. I have known Chris from when he was at Wilkes, and he is definitely a baseball guy. I had been disappointed at the way RCC has fallen off since I was there as I felt I had it moving in the right direction. RCC was my first head coaching gig and it is a shame to see that there is still no support for the baseball program there (other than having a field- which I never had). I want RCC to be good and the potential has always been there. Chris has done, and will do, a great job there. Best of luck to him!

 

Class Baseball Guy

Great idea, Lefty, to shed some well-deserved light on Coach Johnson. A refreshing distraction to some of "Whose Showcase Team Is Better?" posts. Keep up the great work, Chris!

 

You think Chris would want to coach a showcase team? I bet you his team would be best!!!!

Sorry Caroliner, I couldn't help myself!

 

Braves, it's been a while!! I'm honored just to be quoted by you! And Chris would have the best team. End of story!

 

Are you kidding Andy? You're the best! Miss ya, too.

Just kidding about the showcase stuff. Chris would have little interest other than scouting