No one loves Ridgewood more than Chuck Johnson, affectionately known as Coach J.

Chuck's family moved to Ridgewood when he was one year old, and he has been a loyal member of the Ridgewood community ever since. As a child, Chuck attended Willard Elementary, George Washington Junior High School, and Ridgewood High School. He played youth football, basketball and baseball as a young child, and football and baseball all through high school, captaining both teams his senior season. He went on to graduate from Gettysburg College where he earned ­­7 varsity letters – 3 in football and 4 in baseball. After graduating from Gettysburg, Chuck spent the first ten years of his career at Bogota High School teaching physical education while coaching varsity baseball, girl’s varsity basketball, and varsity football. He served his last 6 years in the football program as the head football coach, winning a league championship in 1979. In 1984 after his successful tenure in Bogota, Chuck was hired as a physical education teacher and the head football coach at Ridgewood High School, where he served for nearly four decades.

His professional goal out of college was simply to be a mentor and positive influence for kids. It was a goal that remained consistent throughout his career. As a physical education teacher, Chuck helped create a fundamentally new physical education curriculum, dubbed ‘Wellness Lifestyle’. It was an ethos he personally embraced and modeled, with the goal that all of his students could live their healthiest lives. The program became a model for other progressive programs across the state and country and Chuck was often asked to speak in state and national level conferences on the implementation of the curriculum.

Chuck liked to say that coaching football was his 3:30 class. He built his successful program around his values, his work ethic, and the loyal and enduring relationships he created with the student-athletes and their families. Never seeming to tire, or grow bored with the year over year wear, each year (or decade) brought new and exciting challenges.

Chuck has accumulated a long list of accolades in his storied career. He has been honored by his peers with inductions into the Halls of Fame from the NJSIAA, New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association, New Jersey Football Coaches Association, National Football Foundation, and the College Hall of Fame (Bergen County Chapter). He has also received multiple lifetime achievement awards, being the 8th recipient of The Dr. John F. Bateman Winners for Life Award given by Rutgers University and the winner of the inaugural Drew Gibbs Lifetime Achievement Award.

Forty-four years, 449 games, 301 wins, six sectional titles, one regional title and a lifetime of memories have capped the legendary career of Coach J.

Sports reporter, Jim McConville wrote of Chuck's legacy as follows: “One word – Chuck. Mention that name to anyone who is familiar with North Jersey Football and in many other areas of New Jersey (high school and college), and everyone knows exactly who you are talking about. The incredible respect that has been garnered over five decades of coaching is the mark of the man who could very well be the last football coach in North Jersey to reach 300 career wins.”

The statistics are indeed historic, but what Coach Johnson values most are the thousands of relationships he built with students, athletes and families in the high school and the village. A dedicated husband, father, teacher and coach, he is a shining example of a mentor and friend to all who were fortunate enough to come through the program during his tenure.

The Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame is pleased to induct Coach Chuck Johnson as a member of the Hall of Fame class of 2024