05/18/2026
My last post as Falcons Head Coach. This journey started for me in 1988 as a player. It has made all the difference in my life. Lacrosse has given me so much. It is truly my family sport. My brother Steve Johnson played and coached, my sister Heather Heather played. Now even my wife Jenni Johnson has been a coach. Both my daughters have played. Nikole Johnson just graduated from Post University after playing 4 years there. Alyssa is going to play at Montreat College. I have met so many great people because of this sport and got to go to so many cool places. For the last 20 years I've been coaching high school boys lax in southern Utah. Other than marrying my wife and raising my girls it has been the best 20 years of my life. Especially the last 8 years coaching for Canyon View Lacrosse. Thank you to all the parents who trusted me with your boys. God may not have given me sons but you all did. To all the parents who stepped up to help like Julia Osmun Stolworthy, Tori Carlson, and Carrie Prisbrey Randall thank you for keeping me going. Huge thanks to Nick Gibson, Kristie Eliason McMullin and most of all Star Marie Esancy for jumping in that first year to bail me out when I was drowning trying to take on too much. Star I meant it when I said I would quit if you did. I just beat you to it. To all the players who played for me thank you for buying into me as a coach and believing like I do that this sport is special. Whether you played 1 year, 4 years or like Ian Gibson, Dakota Esancy, Cooper McMullin, or Nikole Johnson who played 10 years for me, all of you made an impact on my life. To the coaches I shared a sideline with thank you. The on field battles were always the best part. That goes for all my assistant coaches over the years as well as the guys I coached against. To Dennis Heaton and Mike Hudson thank you for taking a chance on our weird sport and putting your trust in me. Denny keep watching you will figure out the rules. To Jennifer Winward, Keaton Merrill, Shawn at Crimson, Twiggs and the Dixie Chick's thank you for being the rebels who were willing to try something new. Without you region 9 lacrosse would have never been built. To Josh Hill thank you for moving to Cedar, I was stuck idling here until you showed up. Without your tenacity and willingness to be the bulldog we needed none of this would have happened. To Dan Gibbons, brother I cannot say enough thank yous. I'll never forget the ad you put in the paper 20 years ago and how me calling you changed our lives. Lastly thank you to Kristie Hill, Wendy Gibbons, and Jenni Johnson for trusting your husbands when they were on the phone at midnight that we were all lacrosse nerds and not talking to girlfriends.
Coach Nik Johnson
