Phil Johnson Day in Stillwater

Former Stillwater Area High School boys soccer coach Phil Johnson was honored during the Stillwater City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 21. Mayor Ted Kozlowski presented a proclamation celebrating Wednesday, May 22 as Phil Johnson Day in Stillwater. Johnson, who coached the Ponies for 32 seasons, was recently inducted into the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame.

In Johnson’s tenure, the Ponies compiled a 451-156-64 record with 17 conference titles and 16 section championships — including back-to-back state titles in 1995 and 1996. He was previously inducted into the Minnesota State High School Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame (1997), the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association Hall of Fame (2013), and the St. Croix Valley Sports Hall of Fame (2017). He was also presented the Tony Sanneh Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Johnson was honored as the MSHSSCA Minnesota State Coach of the Year (1996 and 2012), and was named the National High School Large School Coach of the Year in 1997. (Gazette staff photo by Taylor Kiel)