Patriot Swim Club Coach Jeff Johnson Passes Away
Renowned USA Swimming and high school coach Jeff Johnson passed away unexpectedly on Friday, February 15th at the age of 74. Jeff began his Acton-Boxborough coaching career with the Boys' Swim Team in 1977 and became the Girl's Team Head Coach in 2002 . He achieved over 500 dual meet wins and had multiple team state titles. In 1992, Jeff founded the Patriot Swim Club to fill a void in Acton-Boxborough and the surrounding communities. He was a strong advocate of both club and high school swimming and many Massachusetts State Champions were PSC swimmers from competing high schools. Jeff has been recognized numerous times by the Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Lowell Sun as Coach of the Year. He received the David H. Robertson Excellence in Coaching Award in 2005 and the NISCA Outstanding Service Award in 2015. He was humbled to be acknowledged for his coaching; however, for Jeff it was not about the recognition.He always believed the focus of a swimmer's success should be the individual, not the club name or the coaching.
Jeff would be the first to acknowledge that none of these accomplishments would have been possible without the love and support of his wife, Marj. Jeff will be remembered for being one of a kind. As one swimmer noted, "he was the quirkiest and most stubborn, and the softest tough guy". He has left an indelible mark on thousands of lives and will be truly missed.
