Fond remembrance for Hall of Fame coach Ralph Johnson

He was a disciplinarian but was also easy to get along with. An incredibly good coach. And most importantly, a one-of-kind person. That’s how players remembered Ralph Johnson, the Columbia Falls Hall of Fame basketball coach.

Johnson died Aug. 12. He was 92.

“You couldn’t ask for a better person,” said Jack Rogers, who played basketball for Johnson in the early 1960s and used Johnson’s coaching techniques in his own teaching career. “Ralph stood for discipline and hard work.”

Rogers recalled the wind sprints they’d do in practice and the attention to detail in the offense, which was simple, but effective.

As a Columbia Falls basketball coach, Johnson’s teams were second at the state championship three times, (1963, ‘65 ‘75) and often against much larger schools. They were also second in the division three times and third in the division three times.

One of the most memorable wins came in 1965, when the Wildcats beat the Missoula Sentinel Spartans 77-62 at home, ending Sentinel’s 56-game winning streak.

Bill Schulte and Mike Lyngstad were both on that team. Lyngstad said he normally didn’t start, but Johnson put him against the Spartans because of his defense. It worked. Sentinel’s lead scorer was held to just seven points that game.

“I enjoyed (Ralph),” Lyngstad, who had his own distinguished track coaching career at the at the University of Montana, said. “He explained things well and what he wanted.”

For Schulte, he recalled the disciplined approach to the game. It wasn’t just throw a ball on the court and go play basketball. They were talented players, sure, but they Johnson taught the fundamentals of the game.

They drilled the offensive plays and played man defense, Shulte recalled.

Johnson had a knack for bringing out the best in his players, Lyngstad recalled.

“He recognized kids that were hot that day,” he said. “Just a good coach.”

And while Columbia Falls was a much smaller school, the work ethic paid dividends, Schulte noted.

In the early ‘60s, Columbia Falls went from Class B to class A, which included all of the schools that are AA today. They had about 400 students in the high school, total. Some of the bigger schools had that many in a class, Schulte noted.

 They lost to Great Falls, which was one school at the time, by one point, 62-61, in the state championship in 1965.

Rogers stayed friends with Johnson throughout life.

“You couldn’t ask for a better individual,” Rogers said. Rogers played in the 1963 team led by Johnson. They lost to Big Sandy in the state B championship that year, 59-53.

The third trip to the state championship was in 1975, when the Cats lost to Poplar, 80-78.

Johnson was born was born Feb. 14, 1933 in Byron, Wyoming.

He graduated from Lovell High School in 1951 and went on to college at Rocky Mountain in Billings.  His last two years he was offered a scholarship for football and was a member of the 1955 championship team.  He graduated in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree in education.

Johnson also taught history, biology, and physical education at Columbia Falls. He was hired as head coach of the basketball team in 1963.  Johnson was in the teaching profession for 30-plus years, retiring in 1987. He retired from coaching in 1981.

Johnson and his wife, Joanne, were married for 70 years.

He is survived by her as well as his children Todd (Sherry), Cory (Rachel), Kyle (Mary), and Paige (Don), 13 grandchildren; Adam, Michael, Melissa, Alex, Alicia, Tyson, Kelin, Brekka, Parker, Ellie, Meriah, Jocelyn, Keston, and 23 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Wildcat Athletic Endowment Fund.

His full obituary appears in this newspaper. His funeral was Monday at the LDS Church in Columbia Falls. To send online condolences go to: columbiamortuary.com.