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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Mark Johnson on the
4 occasion of his retirement as wrestling coach at the University
5 of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Mark Johnson is an alumnus of Alleman High School,
7 where he grappled to a high school national championship during
8 his senior year; he went on to the University of Michigan,
9 where he became a two-time All-American and two-time NCAA
10 runner-up at 177 pounds; as captain of the Wolverines, he
11 finished his college career with a 103-18-3 record; he earned
12 his bachelor's degree in education in 1977 and was a dean's
13 list student; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Mark Johnson competed on the 1980 Olympic team and
15 on 15 U.S.A. Wrestling teams that competed throughout the
16 world, winning two U.S.A. Wrestling national championships;
17 and
 
18     WHEREAS, Mark Johnson began his coaching career at the
19 University of Iowa, where he worked as a graduate assistant
20 coach from 1978 to 1980; he then worked as a physical fitness
21 director and wrestling coach at the Boys Club in Sarasota,
22 Florida for two years; he then served as an assistant coach at

 

 

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1 the University of Iowa under Dan Gable for eight years; while
2 at Iowa, he helped groom four NCAA championship teams, 17
3 national champions, 55 All-Americans, and eight Big Ten
4 championship squads; in 1986, he garnered NWCA Assistant Coach
5 of the Year accolades; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Following his stint at the University of Iowa,
7 Mark Johnson headed to Oregon State University, where he served
8 as the head coach from 1990 to 1992; as head coach, he led the
9 Beavers to the Pac-10 Championship in 1992, earning conference
10 Coach of the Year honors; in 1992, he headed to the University
11 of Illinois, where he remained until his retirement; and
 
12     WHEREAS, During Mark Johnson's tenure at the University of
13 Illinois, the UI wrestling team has had 17 straight winning
14 seasons and an overall record of 203-44-3; he has coached 45
15 All-Americans and seven individual national champions; in
16 2005, the team won the Big Ten championship for the first time
17 since 1952; in addition, Johnson was named the National
18 Wrestling Coaches Association's "Coach of the Year" in 1995 and
19 was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2005; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Mark Johnson served as assistant coach for the
21 1988 Olympic freestyle team and head coach at the 1986 and 1991
22 Olympic Sports Festivals; he also is a USA Wrestling National
23 Coaching Staff member and a member of the Illinois Wrestling

 

 

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1 Hall of Fame; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Mark Johnson and his wife, Linda, have two
3 daughters, Tricia and Mackey; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Following his retirement, Mark Johnson will serve
5 as chief executive officer of the Champaign County YMCA, where
6 his extraordinary talents will undoubtedly be utilized to their
7 fullest potential; therefore, be it
 
8     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
10 congratulate Mark Johnson on the occasion of his retirement and
11 wish him continued success and happiness in his future career;
12 and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14 presented to Mark Johnson as a symbol of our esteem and
15 respect.