Byng —  

If former Ada High coach Ronny Johns ever had a baseball question during his decade-plus career as head man of the Cougars, he could always turn to his father, Bobby Johns, for advice.

The elder Johns had spent 12 successful years as Byng’s head coach and had watched thousands of games since. So Ronny Johns felt like he could approach dear old dad with anything that came up during the season.

However, there once was a situation Ronny was facing and he knew better than to turn to Bobby for help.

Ronny was enduring a long losing streak with the Cougars and wasn’t sure what to do to turn things around. His wife, Renee, told him to approach his father about it like he had many times before.

“He has no idea how I feel,” Ronny remembered telling his wife. “He NEVER went through anything like this.”

Ronny was exactly right.

During his 12 years as Byng’s head baseball coach, Bobby Johns won 384 times and lost just 62. For those wanting to do the math at home, that’s 16 wins per season (both fall and spring) and just under three losses per campaign. Bobby Johns won a fall state title in 1970 and a spring state championship in 1972. His teams were runners-up four times.

So it was no surprise to those who know Bobby Johns when it was announced that he would be inducted into the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. In fact, it this writer’s opinion, it was long overdue.

Bobby Johns said it caught him by surprise.

“It's something I really wasn't looking for. I've been out of the game nearly 40 years. It was a surprise,” he said. “Being elected to a Hall of Fame was the furthest thing from my mind, so it was quite an honor.”

The induction ceremony takes place Saturday night at 7 p.m. the Bricktown Hotel and Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

Bobby Johns’ story in an incredible one. You see, after graduating college, Bobby had his heart set on being a basketball coach. Yes, that's right, he was a hoops man.

But when he arrived at Byng, another legendary coach — Marvin Stokes (who the Byng baseball field is named after) asked Johns to be his assistant.

Little did Johns know that he was being groomed to take over the storied Byng program.

“I really had aspirations of coaching basketball. I got to help Mr. Stokes one year, and I came back the next fall and I was it,” Johns explained.

Johns took over when Stokes retired in the fall of 1962. The rest, they say, was history.

“I thought I could handle it at Byng because I had just won the Kiwanis 12-and- Under championship,” Johns deadpanned.

It was definitely a hard act to follow. Stokes had eight state titles under his belt when he called it quits.

“If I hadn't had the chance to help him that one year, I really don't know what I would have done,” Johns said. “I was a greenhorn. Sometimes you cross a bridge you don't have to build. I just had to get in there and take over.”

Johns admitted he leaned on Stokes from time to time during his early career.

“I’ll tell you how bad it was, he drove the bus for me for five years,” he said. “He was my mentor. He told me his office was always open to me. That’s when I really started to love baseball.”

As things turned out, Johns didn’t have to totally give up on his first love. He was along for the ride from 1963 to 1969 as the assistant to legendary girls basketball coach Bertha Frank Teague while she was kicking rear and taking names.

“I'm the only guy in the history of Byng School that had the opportunity to coach with both of them,” he said. “I was the only assistant (Teague) ever had.”

Johns actually took over when Teague retired as was named the head girls basketball coach for the 1969-70 and 1970-71 seasons. He was just as successful on the court as he was on the field. Johns guided the Lady Pirates to a 24-4 record and a state semifinal contest his first year and a not-too-shabby 22-10 mark (and an area finals appearance) the next.

“I just told Mr. Stokes I’d take over the job until he could find somebody else,” Johns said.

After winning his state baseball championship in 1972, he was named the National District 5 Coach of the Year in 1972. He also served as the president of the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association for two years.

Johns said the more things have changed, the more they’ve stayed the same in high school baseball.

“I think coaching overall is probably better — and I'm not downgrading any of the great old-timers — but overall coaching is better. You have more clinics and such,” he explained.

Technology has also changed the game.

“The equipment is better —- I just had one year with the aluminum bat — and the playing fields are better.” Johns continued. “When I first came to Byng, a lot of places around here didn't even have lights. That shows you how far back I coached.”

Johns said he had many great memories of his coaching days as a Pirate.

“All the kids you come in contact with, that's the main thing,” he said. “There were a lot of fond memories. Coaching baseball at Byng was fun. I enjoyed the ride. It was a lot of fun.”

It’s a ride that ultimately ended up with him being inducted into the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. And it was a finish that was long overdue.