Ahearn has taught for nearly 30 years at WJ and during those years, he has coached baseball, football, boys and girls basketball and golf, amounting to over 70 seasons of coaching for the Wildcats.
Whereas many WJ athletic coaches’ tenures average about five years, Ahearn has far surpassed this median and evidently, his longetivity has made him an attractive candidate for teachers such as social studies and JV baseball coach Chris Murray to propose his name for such an honor.
Murray submitted a proposal in favor of Ahearn to Principal Christopher Garran. Upon receiving the proposal, Garran created a naming committee and will be taking feedback from the WJ community until Dec. 14, at which time the committee will meet again and will decide to submit the proposal on the county level. Murray said he was in a primary position as an assistant coach to Ahearn and to formally nominate, but there had already been widespread support and interest for Ahearn.
“It was more of a process to ensure his legacy,” said Murray.
The final honor will be released in the coming months as the baseball field is set for its inaugural season in the spring. The committee may debate other possible names for the honor as well, depending on the consensus of the public.
One of the two student members of the committee, senior baseball player Carson Kenney, explained that he was able to offer a “student’s perspective” to be on the committee, and contribute opinions along with senior Jessica Peterson.
Kenney has been coached by Ahearn for three years, and believes the coach is rightfully deserving of the recognition.
“I think it’s a great way to honor his unprecedented commitment to WJ Baseball as well as the entire school community,” said Kenney.
Discussing his reaction to the news, Ahearn remained humble, explaining it caught him by surprise.
“It’s an unbelievable honor,” said Ahearn. “The fact that it went this far, I’m really proud.”
This will be the first naming honor for a major WJ facility in years, and if Ahearn gets the recognition, he will be the first living person and active member to have a facility named after him.
This season, the baseball team will not only play on a new field, but they potentially could have their coach’s name forever commemorated. Murray hopes even if Ahearn is not recognized, he will be distinguished among the WJ community while he is still here, continuing and enhancing his coaching and teaching legacy.
With the new baseball stadium set to open for the season, players are curious to find out if their coach’s name will get the nod. Ahearn hopes a recognition will give them more pride and rub off on their achivement this season. Kenney, along with other seniors on the baseball team, are excited to play their last season and hope to play on Ahearn field, where motivation will not be hard to find.
“If the field was named after Coach Ahearn it’d be like the icing on the cake,” said Kenney.
Proposal written by Chris Murray to Principal Christopher Garran:
If you were to ask Jamie Ahearn about her father, Kim Ahearn, she would first describe him as a man who bleeds green and white. That is the same green and white that he wore as a proud student athlete at Walter Johnson High School in the early 1960s and that is the same green and white that he put back on in 1978 as the head coach of his alma mater’s baseball team. The following fall, Kim Ahearn began his teaching tenure at Walter Johnson where he has served as a dedicated member of the staff for the past 30 years. Over those 30 years at Walter Johnson he has coached an astounding 70 seasons of sports, impacting countless young lives. More important to him are the contributions he has made and the joy he has gained from teaching five classes of physical education every day for the past 37 years of his life.
Men like Coach Ahearn are not the norm in today’s coaching community or in education for that matter. The dedication that he has shown towards one community and one school over the past 30 years is astounding. His story and passion must be on hand for the next 50 years as Walter Johnson High School continues to be at the apex of both academic and athletic excellence in the United States of America. That is why I believe that any time a student, teacher, or alumnus walks past our brand new baseball diamond, they should be reminded of the type of character that has built Walter Johnson High School into what it is today. Please support those who have had their lives inspired by ones man’s commitment to coaching and teaching in enshrining his name on the new baseball field here at Walter Johnson High School.
