Brian Johnson always intended to be a head coach again, from the minute he started as an assistant coach at Metea Valley after being let go at West Aurora.

But a job this good, this close by? Johnson admitted he would have thought it unlikely.

A perfect fit it is. Johnson, who coached for eight seasons at West Aurora and before that for six years at Kaneland, has been hired as the next boys basketball coach at Oswego East.

Johnson replaces Ryan Velasquez, who stepped down in March after nine seasons.

“When this job opened up, it was a no-brainer,” Johnson said. “Perfect timing in my life as well. I was ready for the next chapter in my coaching career.”

Johnson, who will continue to teach driver’s ed at West Aurora, compiled a 129-102 record in eight seasons there from 2015-2023, with four regional titles and a sectional championship in 2018.

He posted a 99-68 record with two regional titles at Kaneland from 2009-2015.

He valued his last three seasons as an assistant under Isaiah Davis at Metea Valley, and the opportunity for more family time. Johnson’s son is a junior at West Aurora who plays volleyball, his daughter a seventh-grader.

“Seeing how well Isaiah handled the program as a whole, the amount of autonomy he gave me as a coach, it gave me a different perspective,” Johnson said. “Differences in what my coaching style might be, philosophies and amazing ideas to run a program smoothly, really just developing my core values and lighting a fire again.

“My kids are older now, there is more time for me to fully dive into being a head coach, part of a program that is very good and the connections with what I know as a staff, I felt like it would be a seamless transition.”

Oswego East athletic director Steven Tracy said that 50-plus applications were received for the position, with 13 individuals brought in for the first round of interviews and four for a second round.

The Wolves have won at least 20 games in each of the last eight full seasons under Velasquez, not counting the COVID-19 shortened season, with three regional titles and one sectional championship.

“Brian checked off all the boxes,” Tracy said. “We’re a high-level program, we’re pretty turn key ready. We have great community development across the board, a great feeder program. He has the experience of running the overall program. We felt Brian could come right in, pick up where Ryan left and also help us move and take another step.

“He’s coached some high-level players, been in some high-level basketball games, games we expect to be in in the future. Putting our program in his hands gave us the best opportunity to build on the success we’ve had.”

Johnson, who will be the fifth head coach in program history, has a roundabout connection to Oswego East. His former boss, West Aurora AD Jason Buckley, was the first boys basketball coach at Oswego East. At West Aurora Johnson competed against Oswego East while the Blackhawks were members of the Southwest Prairie Conference.

Johnson appreciates the opportunity to lead another successful program, without having to uproot his family or make a long commute from school to school. His wife also teaches at West Aurora, with his kids in school at that district.

“I would have thought that the chances of that were very unlikely, especially a program like Oswego East with how successful it has been,” Johnson said. “I feel very fortunate and very lucky that a job like this would open up. Ryan and I were very friendly competing with each other, there is a lot of mutual respect, he has been helping me out. He cares about the program. He wants it to be in good hands.”

Johnson is no stranger to taking over a program with a high standard of success. He succeeded Kerkman after the legendary West Aurora coach retired after 39 seasons.

“I love the challenge,” he said. “Going in and taking over for coach Kerkman was a big deal. The success he had was unbelievable and there is pressures with the job but I like that. Me and the staff at West, we prepared well and we had nice successes.”

Johnson’s plan is to bring back the rest of Oswego East’s coaching staff. He’s been in contact with the athletic staff about scheduling games, shootouts and summer shootouts.

“We’re focusing on the players and what we can do to be successful,” Johnson said. “If you develop a good philosophy and get the players to want to work hard, success will follow. I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel. I will just look to add my personal touch.”