April 2008: Cottonwood/Holladay Journal

Olympus Wrestling Coach Named Region 6 Coach of the Year
by Michelle Taft

Wrestling coach Theros Johnson had the burden of another coach’s legacy to carry when two years ago he took over the six-time consecutive region championship Olympus wrestling team.

After leading the Titans to another pair of region titles in his first two years, Johnson now carries the burden of his own legacy. And for that, he was voted Region
6 wrestling coach of the year by his fellow coaches.

“He’s a young coach and it’s an incredible honor for someone that has just taken over a program,” said Olympus athletic director Kaye Poulton-Timm. “He’s a nice guy and he’s a good coach.”

The word legacy is not a new one to Johnson. He wrestled at Taylorsville for his father, the coach at the time, and then went on to wrestle for the University of Wyoming.

After college, Johnson returned to Taylorsville alongside his father as an assistant coach for five years. In what Johnson called “almost fate,” the previous Olympus
coach, David Vandeveegaete, who had also wrestled at Taylorsville for Johnson’s father, left Olympus and called Johnson about the opening for a wrestling coach.

Johnson interviewed and was offered the job. The following year, Johnson’s father retired from Taylorsville and Vandeveegaete stepped back into high school coaching and took over for Johnson’s father at Taylorsville.

“He’s keeping the Taylorsville legacy alive over there and I’m keeping the Olympus legacy alive over here,” Theros said. Johnson said he knew that stepping in at Olympus, he had “some big shoes to fill,” but he said the pressure his first year wasn’t as great as it was this year.

“Everyone’s expectations the first year were that with a new coach it wouldn’t happen for us,” he said. “I went in to the kids and I told them we were going to do it
anyway and that was the way it was going to be,” he said.

And the team did. Johnson said the real pressure came this year to repeat. But pressure, he said, is a good thing.

“A little bit of pressure is always a good thing,” he said. “It’s something that a lot of athletes and coaches thrive on. It keeps you in the game and it keeps you working.”

Johnson said he finds himself immersed in each kid and each competition, and that, perhaps, is what makes him such a strong coach.

“What I enjoy about coaching is it’s an extension of competition,” he said. “It’s a big thrill being there in the corner and being a part of the action. I walk away from
a tournament having gone through emotionally and mentally hundreds of matches because I’m just so into every match and I want every one of my kids to be successful.”

Johnson also coaches a USA wrestling team that includes current and what he hopes will be future Olympus athletes during the off-season.