2-A-DAYS: Copperas Cove in a rebuild, but head coach Tony Johnson has done it before

COPPERAS COVE, Texas (KWTX) - Copperas Cove head coach Tony Johnson had made a living off of turning programs around. He’s done it for over 30 years in major football markets such as the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Now in his second year at Copperas Cove, he’s on his way to doing it again. After back to back 1-9 seasons, Johnson led Cove to a two-win season in his first year in 2022.

Johnson knows that his program is currently in a rebuild, though, he’s going to continue to follow the path that he’s taken before.

“I come into situations of ones that usually need to be rebuilt,” said Johnson. “The last school I was at in Dallas hadn’t won a game in three years. We flipped it around and by year three, we made the playoffs. Here, I’m following that same model.”

Even though he’s done it before, program turnarounds still come with a bit of added pressure, but Johnson is determined to take this build step by step.

He’s even modeling his formula after one of sport’s greatest coaches of all time.

“John Wooden’s old pyramid of success,” said Johnson. “I think you have to have some other goals that are underneath there too. Let’s have a winning season, let’s vie for a district championship, let’s win a playoff game. I think you have to work in those steps.”

COPPERAS COVE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Fri, 8/25 7:30 pm at Georgetown

Fri, 9/1 7:30 pm at East View (Georgetown)

Fri, 9/8 7:30 pm vs. Manor

Thu, 9/14 7:00 pm at University

Fri, 9/29 7:30 pm at Bryan

Fri, 10/6 7:30 pm vs. Weiss (Pflugerville)

Fri, 10/13 7:30 pm at Midway

Fri, 10/20 7:30 pm vs. Hutto

Thu, 10/26 7:00 pm at Harker Heights

Fri, 11/3 7:30 pm vs. Temple

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