Longtime Fannin County High School basketball coach Johnny Farmer was honored Saturday, December 13, as his name was officially applied to the building he helped build. The Fannin County School System named the school’s gymnasium the Coach Johnny Farmer Gymnasium in honor of his 30-year coaching legacy.
“I’m very appreciative of all the athletes I was able to coach here in Fannin County. They did a tremendous job for me. There was a lot of hard work, but I taught them dedication, determination and the desire,” Farmer said.
Farmer was humbled by all the past players who came to the ceremony. “I can’t believe it has been 14 years since I coached. I still come to the games quite often. I have a lot of memories here and I got to see a lot of faces I haven’t seen in a long time.”
Though being honored, in his historic fashion, Farmer turned the spotlight elsewhere. “I’ve never liked bringing awareness to me. I always shove it off. The things they said I’d accomplished, I didn’t do it for myself, I did it for the community and for the high school. It’s a great honor. I’m very appreciative.”
During the recognition ceremony, Farmer was described as a person who built a winning tradition, and as a person who turned generations of teenagers into champions and champions into upstanding adults by teaching resilience, leadership, character, the importance of hard work, setting goals, and completing the task at hand. It was also said he didn’t just build teams, he built a standard that every athlete in the building still strives for today, and naming the gymnasium in his honor ensures that his impact on the community, the school, and generations of student-athletes will never be forgotten.
Farmer said he just wanted to put Fannin County on the map. And he did just that. During his career, he coach 816 games and won 577 of them. He won five sub-region championships, five region championships; and two state championships in 1993 and 1999. His teams made 13 Sweet Sixteen appearances and nine trips to the Elite Eight. He made six Final Four appearances, and was state runner up twice. He started his career coaching the B team boys squad for one year in 1980, then started as the varsity girls coach in 1981 and did so for 26 years. He coached four years of varsity boys basketball before retiring in 2011.
Farmer’s wife Donna, sons, Jordan and Jonathan, and their families were also recognized for their sacrifice and dedication to the school.