Prep Softball: Newnan's Allison Johns named assistant coach of year
By DOUG GORMANdgorman@newnan.com
Every head coach will tell you they rely heavily on their assistants in order to build a successful team.
Newnan softball coach Carrie Gilmore knows she couldn’t do it without the help of assistant Alison Johns.
Earlier this year, the state’s top high school baseball and softball organization named Johns as the Class AAAAAA Assistant Coach of the Year.
Johns joined the Lady Cougars four years ago and has proved she is a jack of all trades.
“She will do anything I need," Gilmore said. “She helps maintain the field and she can work with all the positions. She is very versatile.”
Her knowledge of the game has also impressed Gilmore.
“She calls the pitches for us,” Gilmore said. “She really knows the game.”
During the 2012 season, Johns assisted with a Lady Cougars team that went 19-15 and made it into the second round of the state tournament.
After sweeping Luella in the Class AAAAAA first round, Newnan lost to Kennesaw Mountain.
Gilmore thinks her top assistant has a bright future in coaching, and she can easily see Johns running her own program at some point in her coaching career.
“She really knows the game, but I would hate to lose her,” Gilmore said. “She does such a great job for us.”
Johns also helps with the girls basketball team serving as an assistant for LaVarrett Pearson on the varsity and is head coach for the junior varsity basketball team.
