Palisades basketball head coach Torino Johnson has been named the State Division I Girls Coach of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports.
Since his arrival to Palisades, Johnson has set the gold standard of coaching excellence as his Lady Dolphins have won four City titles in six years (2011 and 2012 Division II champions), including back-to-back Open Division championships the last two seasons (2015, 2016).
“Torino has built a dynasty with the girls at Palisades and with all but three players returning there could be several more championships on the horizon. He has often told me the games are for players and fans, practices are for coaches and he is a great example,” said Steve Galluzzo, sportswriter for the Palisadian Post. “He is a student of basketball, having learned his craft from the likes of John Wooden and George Raveling. He loves teaching the game and he thrives on competition.”
Johnson challenges his players to compete against the highest level of competition and the Lady Dolphins have gone head-to-head against the likes of Mater Dei, Stockton Saint Mary’s, Chaminade and a host of others. After playing a rigorous non-league schedule, Palisades hunkers down in the Western League battling Fairfax, Westchester and University and then playing the best that the City Section has to offer in the Open Division playoffs.
Back-to-back Open Division titles has brought positive and well-deserved recognition to the campus by the sea.
Galluzzo credits the program’s success with an emphasis on discipline and character that resonates throughout the team year-by-year.
“His teams are disciplined and the girls are not only great players, but super people off the court. Very polite, very involved in the community and very committed to academics. The girls are more than just teammates, they are a family,” Galluzzo said. “Torino has created a championship culture and has set the standard for all of the coaches on campus. He schedules the best teams he can find, because he knows that to be the best you have to beat the best. Torino is one of the best coaches I've covered AT ANY LEVEL and I can't think of anyone more deserving of Coach of the Year honors.”
Johnson’s personal success and growth as a coach has expanded to USA Basketball where he was a USA U16 Women’s Court Coach last summer. He helped develop and train U16 USA Olympic Players.
Here is a one-on-one interview with Johnson as he talked about his program and being honored as the State Division I Girls Coach of the Year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKBYc-TK3XA