RHS Athletic Hall of Fame
Members of the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame are those that have made a lasting impact on the school’s sports program as either student players, coaches, or supporters. Often the student players have continued to influence their chosen sports after high school by ongoing participation in athletics.
Chuck Johnson 2024 Inductee
CHUCK JOHNSON
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
CLASS OF 1970
No one loves Ridgewood more than Chuck Johnson, affectionately known as Coach J.
Chuck’s family moved to Ridgewood when he was one year old, and he has been a loyal member of the Ridgewood community ever since. As a child, Chuck attended Willard Elementary, George Washington Junior High School, and Ridgewood High School. He played youth football, basketball and baseball as a young child, and football and baseball all through high school, captaining both teams his senior season. He went on to graduate from Gettysburg College where he earned 7 varsity letters – 3 in football and 4 in baseball. After graduating from Gettysburg, Chuck spent the first ten years of his career at Bogota High School teaching physical education while coaching varsity baseball, girl’s varsity basketball, and varsity football. He served his last 6 years in the football program as the head football coach, winning a league championship in 1979. In 1984 after his successful tenure in Bogota, Chuck was hired as a physical education teacher and the head football coach at Ridgewood High School, where he served for nearly four decades.
His professional goal out of college was simply to be a mentor and positive influence for kids. It was a goal that remained consistent throughout his career. As a physical education teacher, Chuck helped create a fundamentally new physical education curriculum, dubbed ‘Wellness Lifestyle.’ It was an ethos he personally embraced and modeled, with the goal that all of his students could live their healthiest lives. The program became a model for other progressive programs across the state and country and Chuck was often asked to speak in state and national level conferences on the implementation of the curriculum.
Chuck liked to say that coaching football was his 3:30 class. He built his successful program around his values, his work ethic, and the loyal and enduring relationships he created with the student-athletes and their families. Never seeming to tire, or grow bored with the year over year wear, each year (or decade) brought new and exciting challenges.
Chuck has accumulated a long list of accolades in his storied career. He has been honored by his peers with inductions into the Halls of Fame from the NJSIAA, New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association, New Jersey Football Coaches Association, National Football Foundation, and the College Hall of Fame (Bergen County Chapter). He has also received multiple lifetime achievement awards, being the 8th recipient of The Dr. John F. Bateman Winners for Life Award given by Rutgers University and the winner of the inaugural Drew Gibbs Lifetime Achievement Award.
Forty-four years, 449 games, 301 wins, six sectional titles, one regional title and a lifetime of memories have capped the legendary career of Coach J.
Sports reporter, Jim McConville wrote of Chuck’s legacy as follows: “One word – Chuck. Mention that name to anyone who is familiar with North Jersey Football and in many other areas of New Jersey (high school and college), and everyone knows exactly who you are talking about. The incredible respect that has been garnered over five decades of coaching is the mark of the man who could very well be the last football coach in NorthJersey to reach 300 career wins.”
The statistics are indeed historic, but what Coach Johnson values most are the thousands of relationships he built with students, athletes and families in the high school and the village. A dedicated husband, father, teacher, and coach, he is a shining example of a mentor and friend to all who were fortunate enough to come through the program during his tenure.
The Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame is pleased to induct Coach Chuck Johnson as a member of the Hall of Fame class of 2024
Download: 2022 Banquet Book!
Lynne Collazo, Chuck Johnson, Patricia Putnoky Piotrowski, Tyler Roten, Kelci Smesko, Brett Sowers,
2022
Patti Auger, Eric Benedict, Eunae Jo, Peter McGinley, Karla Mixon, Clair Nowakowski, 1983 Softball Team, Joe Pedone, Julia Rappa
2020
Carlos Peay, Louis Edward “Eddie” Peay, Kelly Conheeney, Samantha Cermack, Chris Rae, Chelsea Steinberg, Mark Strittmatter, Andrew Clarke, Jim Dee, Phil Ross Sr.
2018
2016
Maureen Greico, Larry Coyle, Jacob Brown, Richard Bennett, Toshiko D’Elia
2014
John Marshall, Jim Bruni, Mark Romeo, Jean Hughes, Chris Van Note, Nancy Hogan, RHS Football Team 1913, Don Taylor, Rachel Grygiel, John Cerf, Paul Tornatore, Michele Marangi, RHS Boys’ Lacrosse 1990-92
2012
Craig Halyard, Tom Flatt, Tricia Pappalardo, Mike Henderson, Kandie Latham, Leigh Jester, Tom Dusel, Roger Sweeney, Linda Zabielski, Patty Capasso, Dennis Sullivan, Nick & Dottie Capasso, Track and Field (Bain-Daley-Oliver Era)
2010
Primo “Duke” DeRochi, Debbie Paul, George Monro, Bill Dunne, Amy Lyons, James Sullivan, Michael Culver, Keith O’Connor, Josh Kauke, Patti Mileski, Mary Ellen Mileski
2008
Kitty Batterson, Henry Blauvelt, Frank L. Bradley, Jr., Lucia Cancelmo, Chris DuFlocq, Renee DuFlon, RHS Girls’ Basketball 1922-1923, Harry Grundy, Jim Jones, Joe LeMay, Jen McDermott,Shannon McGarrigle, Tony Napier, Margaret Niemann, Vince Robertiello (Jamie Roberts), Damian Ross, Mike Springer
2006
Mario Ferraro, Paul Ferraro, Don Haldane, Wendy Hartwig, Tom Hopper, Bob Keino, Frank Mozeleski, Tim Mullen, Jenna Rogers, Donna O’Connell, Carin Cone, Charles Yennie
2004
Paul Arrigoni, Pete Campbell, Doug Cook, Becky Deetz, Otis Grendler, Jodi Hartwig, Gene Links, Debbie O’Connell, Aimee McGuire, Walt Perdue, Tom Simos, Kazbek Tambi, Jack Van Yperen, Bob Whitaker, Margaret Scutro