SLO County cross country coach makes ‘forced move’ to middle school. Who will replace him?
After 10 years of coaching cross country at Coast Union High School – and teaching robotics, engineering, and cybersecurity at the Cambria school – Ayen Johnson has been moved to Santa Lucia Middle School.
“The forced move was disappointing,” Johnson explained in an email, “but I am looking forward to working with the staff, principal and students” at the middle school in Cambria.
He will not have a coaching assignment at the middle school, although he previously coached boys basketball there for four years.
Johnson will still be teaching technology classes, however.
His new fall classes include digital media, which is responsible for the production of the weekly news publication, as well as product design, robotics and game design and business.
After 10 years working at the high school, Johnson said he will “miss the students and relationships I built over the years.”
But he is back doing what he loves in a different environment with younger students.
He has already created a cyber team – as he did with great success at Coast Union – and an Interact Club, which he also guided as advisor at Coast.
Meet new Coast Union High School cross country coach
Stepping in for Johnson as head cross country coach at the high school is Coast Union social science instructor Taylor Henderson, who co-coached the team with Johnson last year.
“I wouldn’t consider myself a runner,” Henderson said, but he tries to run “two miles every other day.”
In high school, Henderson played water polo and was a distance swimmer. He played basketball as well.
His coaching experience includes being a swimming mentor.
For now, Henderson said, the Coast Union runners’ training is “tailored to their individual summer schedules.”
“No set time or location is required,” he said, but the hope is they will run 15 to 20 miles a week.
Once school starts and the season is launched, Coast Union’s cross country team will run “every weekday, meets included, with weekends designed for recovery,” Henderson said.
There are currently about seven runners on the team.
The first meet the Broncos will participate in will be the Pinedorado 5K Fun Run, on Saturday, Sept. 2.
