Barlow boys' basketball players in search of elusive feat for head coach Tom Johnson

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- The Barlow boys' basketball squad has had an incredibly successful season and is the #1 seed in the OSAA playoffs.

Not only has the season been excellent for the Bruins, but it’s also marked an excellent milestone for their head coach as Tom Johnson achieved win #700 in his career a few weeks ago.

“It was humbling. I really felt honored, but it was kind of embarrassing as well,” said Johnson.

The quip sums up the fourth all-time winningest high school boys basketball coach in Oregon history in a nutshell.

But perhaps this one does even better: When asked the night of win #700 what it meant, he said, “It just means I’m old and stupid.”

“I thought it was hilarious because that’s, like, him,” said senior point guard Jalen Atkins. “He really thinks that though. He always makes little jokes about his age and how long he’s been around.”

Oh, and the answer to how long Johnson has been around?

He’s spent 42 years as a head coach, with 39 of them at Barlow. Unlike every other coach in the top 10 in the state for wins though, Johnson has yet to win a state title.

“That doesn’t define me as a person or as a coach,” said Johnson of the state’s most prized trophy. “I know that with a lot of people, it does. What’s most important to me is the relationships I’ve been able to foster with our athletes over the years.”

It’s evident when you talk to his current athletes, who are 50 years his junior, that they love the man they call TJ as much as ever.

“I don’t think words can explain the amount of care and love he has for all of us individually before basketball,” said Atkins. “I think that’s the reason why we’ve had a lot of success. He just wants us to be the best humans we can, and he cares more about us as people than he does as players, which I think just really separates him from other coaches and separates our program from others. It’s a personal community, and he just loves every one of us.”

Being around this Barlow team, it’s obvious how much they want to finally win it all for their head coach.

His response to that?

“Well, that’s nice, but I’d like to win it for them.”