Brooks 'Anxious' for Fresh Start at Aberdeen

In the same manner that made him a successful coach and teacher at Havre de Grace High School for 17 years, Johnny Brooks spoke candidly to his players Tuesday morning, notifying them that he would not be returning for the 2011 season.

Brooks told the Havre de Grace football team he would be moving down Route 40 to —ending a 13-year run as the Warriors head coach that culminated last year with the Making it to the championship galvanized the entire Havre de Grace community.

Brooks, who has taught at Havre de Grace since 1994, was introduced at Aberdeen Tuesday afternoon, just hours after his meeting with the Warriors team he had led through the early losing seasons to the glory of last season’s.

“Everybody was cool with it. They understand. We were laughing about the good days we had last year. It was a pleasant meeting,” Brooks said of Tuesday morning’s gathering during a phone interview with Patch after his introduction at Aberdeen. “They’re OK with it. At least they said they were.”

Brooks, who lives in Aberdeen, got smiles from his Havre de Grace players when he joked that he was leaving because gas prices were getting too high.

But the true reason for the move is a new opportunity.

“Time for a change,” Brooks said. “Maybe some new challenges, hit the refresh button.”

Brooks will become a social studies teacher at Aberdeen at the beginning of the 2011-12 school year. Becoming a teacher at Aberdeen was the final part of the deal. Brooks had become the clear favorite for the Eagles football job a month ago. His transfer to the Aberdeen social studies department became a reality last week.

Brooks will remain at Havre de Grace through the end of the school year. His departure leaves three vacant positions at Havre de Grace—social studies teacher, football coach and basketball coach.

He was the only African American male teacher at Havre de Grace—which has a 29 percent minority population, according to Harford County Public Schools.

Heather Crawford, Havre de Grace's athletic director, said Tuesday that she wishes Brooks well, and that she is accepting applications and resumes for the football position. She plans to conduct interviews the week of May 16.

Longtime Havre de Grace defensive coordinator Greg Long has informed Crawford that he is interested in the position.

Brooks is likely to take the majority of his coaching staff with him to Aberdeen.

He said he is proud of the progress Havre de Grace football has made in recent years—especially the implementation of a parks and recreation program that became a feeder system that didn’t exist 10 years ago.

“I’m hoping it’s in a good direction. I’m not sure who’s going to be the next coach. As soon as they come up with that name, we’ll know a little bit better,” he said. “There’s some good kids there, the parks and rec program is much improved. They have a great facility. Brian Eberhardt is doing a great job with the parks and rec.”

As a student at Havre de Grace High School, Brooks led the Warriors as the quarterback on the football team, a guard on the basketball team, and a shortstop and center fielder on the baseball team. He went on to play football at Clemson before transferring to Towson.

After teaching in Baltimore City and at the Hickey School for a short time, he returned to Havre de Grace in 1994.

He was the JV football coach at Havre de Grace in the late 1990s before longtime varsity coach Tom Marron retired. Brooks took over as the varsity coach in 1998.

He’s been synonymous with Warriors athletics since. He’s taken the football and basketball teams to state tournaments. He coached valedictorians, future college athletes and his own son.

But his ambition beyond Havre de Grace became apparent in recent years. He told Patch earlier this year he applies for openings each year as a regular practice.

This winter, Brooks also applied for the opening at Harford Tech, which was .

“I always try to see what’s out there. I don’t like to get too comfortable in one position because you never know,” Brooks said. “I always go out and test the market, and that’s for teaching, as well. Not just coaching.”

He sees a terrific opportunity at Aberdeen—which won the 2003 state championship but has struggled in recent years. The Eagles went 1-9 in 2010, the final year under coach John Siemsen.

“It’s a bigger school—3A. I’ve been in 1A my whole teaching and coaching career. More kids. You get a chance to coach in a different facility,” Brooks said. “I’m just looking for a change. They usually have a load of talent.”

Brooks said he won’t turn his back on the students of Havre de Grace as he looks forward to his future at Aberdeen.

“Coming off the season we had last year, we were looking forward to trying to do it again. I’m looking at the kids, and they’re all good kids. They’re going to go to college. It's not like we can’t see each other,” Brooks said. “I told them I’ll do what I can to help them get into schools.”

Helping students achieve their goals was a driving factor for Brooks at Havre de Grace. He regularly put students up for awards and honors, and was working with his football players in the weight room at Havre de Grace late last week, even as his tenure at Havre de Grace was coming to a close.

Brooks has sent a number of players on to college—including Division-I talents such as Richard Simpson, who graduated from HHS in 2003 and played receiver at Bucknell, and last year’s co-valedictorian, Zack Tabor, a Warriors linebacker who walked on at Penn. He was answering recruiting calls and meeting with college coaches last week in hopes of sending some of his Warriors on to higher education and athletic opportunities.

But in the back of his mind for the past few weeks, Brooks knew he’d end up at Aberdeen. Now, it’s a reality.

“I’m just kind of anxious,” Brooks said.