Faith Johnson Patterson is on the move again.
One of the state's most successful girls basketball coaches has been hired to guide the Maranatha Christian Academy program. Johnson Patterson served as Visitation's coach the previous two years, guiding the Blazers to an 18-8 mark this past season.
"Faith is an ambassador for the game of basketball," Maranatha Head of School Deb Larson said. "The entire Maranatha community is excited to witness the positive impact she will have both on and off the court."
Johnson Patterson has accumulated 520 victories during her 26-year coaching career. She has also coached at Minneapolis North, DeLaSalle, Eden Prairie and Minneapolis Edison.
The Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame inductee took 14 teams to the state tournament from 1997 to 2013. She has won eight state championships (five at Minneapolis North and three at DeLaSalle, including the first for each program), tying Rochester Lourdes' Myron Glass for the most among girls team coaches. She won three consecutive titles at each school, Minneapolis North from 2003 to '05 and DeLaSalle from 2011 to '13. Her career record in state tournament play is 36-6, a phenomenal .857 winning percentage.
"The impact coach Johnson Patterson has had on young athletes over her storied career is impressive," Maranatha athletic director Drew Rongere said. "Her coaching philosophy and drive for success fit with Mustangs athletics' mission and vision."
Maranatha, in Brooklyn Park, is coming off an 18-11 season. The Mustangs made nine consecutive state tournament appearances from 2010 to '18, winning the Class 1A championship in 2011 and '12.
