A disappointed Brian Johnson answered the question.
“It’s true,” he said.
After leading the boys basketball program for the past eight seasons, Johnson confirmed Wednesday that he has been dismissed from the position as West Aurora’s head coach.
Johnson, who corroborated the rumors that had been gaining momentum during the course of the day, said he was informed of the decision Tuesday by Jason Buckley, the school’s athletic director.
“All I can say is I’m surprised by it,” Johnson said. “I’m really proud of everything we accomplished. I put my all into it.
“I put the kids first and went above and beyond to help the kids on and off the court.”
Johnson chose not to go into the reasons that Buckley gave him for the decision.
“It came from the athletic department,” Buckley said of the decision when reached in his office Thursday afternoon, later adding, “That’s me.”
Buckley hired Johnson in 2015 to replace legendary coach Gordie Kerkman, who was part of the program for 53 years, the last 39 as head coach.
Buckley would not comment on the reasons for his decision.
“I apologize,” he said. “I can’t give you more because it’s a personnel matter.”
He said he also could not shed light on a possible successor or the process of selecting one.
“We haven’t gotten that far yet,” Buckley said when asked if the new hire would have to work in the building. “We have to get it posted first.
“Anything we can do to help facilitate communication with kids.”
Johnson continues as a physical education and driver’s education teacher at the school, where his wife teaches English and works in the college career center.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” he said.
West Aurora (18-15) finished the 2022-23 season with a 56-43 loss to supersectional qualifier Oswego East in the Class 4A Lockport Regional championship game.
It was the fourth time the Southwest Prairie Conference rivals met this season, with the Wolves winning all four.
Kerkman, Johnson’s predecessor, won 806 games. The West Aurora gym has been named in his honor.
Johnson finished 129-102 at West Aurora, a .558 winning percentage. His teams won three straight conference and four straight regional titles. They won a sectional in 2018.
West Aurora went 25-5 that season and made it to the supersectional in Normal, where the Blackhawks lost to Class 4A state champion Belleville West, led by New Orleans Pelicans forward E.J. Liddell.
Johnson, who was an assistant to Kerkman in the 2008-09 season, led Kaneland for six seasons from 2009 through 2015. The Knights won two regional titles and went 99-68, giving him a career record of 228-170.
