The Gilmer High Bobcats will be greeted by a familiar face next soccer season.
The program was left searching for a replacement following coach Simon Phipps resignation, and assistant Taylor Johnstone will step into the head coaching role.
“It was good to have a good mentor over the past four years with coach Phipps,” said Johnstone. “We saw the game in different ways, which allowed us to bring a unique style of play to Gilmer. I’m very excited to take over as head coach. I’m glad we’ll continue to build on what coach Phipps and I have built over the past four years. We want to continue to establish the culture.
“I’m glad (GHS principal) Mr. Bowen and (county athletic director) Mr. Standard gave me the opportunity to be head coach, and that means a lot to me.”
Johnstone, 31, is wrapping up his sixth year as a teacher and coach. This marks his fourth year in Gilmer. He was a GHS football assistant for three years before becoming Clear Creek Middle School’s offensive coordinator in 2021.
Along with wife, Paige, they have a son Ryder (8) and daughter Laken (3). Paige is Clear Creek’s girls head cross-country coach, and will take over the GHS swim program this fall. She will also be a girls soccer assistant at GHS.
While Johnstone played college football at Jacksonville State, soccer was his first sport growing up. He played select soccer until his freshman year of high school when he opted to join the track team instead.
“That’s one of those things I’d go back and change if I could,” he said. “I really enjoyed playing soccer, and it’s something that we used to bond in our family as they (parents) played adult league soccer when I was growing up. When I was in college, I started playing some pick-up games.”
Johnstone has gained valuable lessons during his coaching career and wants to continue to implement what he brought to the GHS soccer program since his arrival.
“What I’ve learned from my first year coaching to now, is to have a plan and make sure everything is structured,” he said. “We want to have a reason for everything we’re doing. We’re trying to make our practices as efficient as we can because we have limited time.
“That’s what I’ve brought from football to soccer. Every day we’ll have a practice plan, and it will be based off previous games or what we need to work on. We’re structured from our opening warmup to all our drills.”
GHS soccer has flourished over the past four seasons, and Johnstone was there every step of the way. Gilmer posted a 25-21-1 record over that span and just wrapped up its best season with a 10-5-1 mark.
“I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve got to build some relationships with these kids and see them go out into the community and run businesses of their own or just see them be successful on their own.
“It’s been great to be successful these last four seasons. We made the playoffs three of the last four years (the 2020 season was canceled because of COVID). The ultimate goal with being a coach in general is to try to develop these kids into young men. I think the boys will respond well to me being the new head coach.”
Johnstone mentioned what he wants to see every match, saying, “I plan on our kids playing as hard as they can every time they take the field. No matter win or lose, if they give me their best effort, they’ll never hear anything negative out of me as far as that goes. I’m a huge effort coach and it goes a long ways.
“With the style of soccer we play as far as being physical and aggressive, if we’re pressing the ball up the field and you’re not running trying to close down that space, then I’ll put someone else in who will. You may not be the most skilled player, but if you’re giving me the effort, we’ll be happy.”
The Bobcats bid farewell to 14 seniors from 2022 and there will be plenty of spots up for grabs next season.
“We’re seeing where our program is headed now, and we want to continue to see improvement,” Johnstone said. “It will be interesting to see with losing so many seniors how these upcoming sophomores and juniors will respond. Some of them progressed this past year, and now they’ll have to take it upon themselves to make this important.
“The physicality and quickness is probably going to be a challenge for the younger kids coming up, but I think we’ll have some good senior leadership.”
GHS will hold a youth soccer camp next month, and a new team is on the way to help with player development. GHS players will have the opportunity to play on the Three Rivers Athletic Club’s U19 team, which will be coached by Eddie Pantoja and Kevin Flores.