COACHING STAFF
Chad Jilek - Head Varsity
Coach Jilek is entering his 14th season as head coach and has compiled 266-54 record at Johnston High School. Last year brought another highly successful season. In 2024-25 Johnston was ranked #1 all year finishing with a 26-0 record while winning their 4th Class 5A State Title in the last 6 years. Johnston is the first 5A school to win back to back state titles. There have been 4 seasons that a 5A team has finished a perfect 26-0 and Johnston has done it 3 of those years. Johnston finished the '24-'25 season on a 52 game winnings streak, the longest streak in the nation. The Dragons also earned their 7th straight CIML Conference Championship. Johnston spent all season ranked in the national polls (ESPN, MaxPreps) finishing the season ranked #10 in the MaxPreps poll and #14 in ESPN . Johnston qualified for their 11th consecutive Iowa State Tournament (a large school record) and made it to the state championship game for a record 6th consecutive season. The 6 straight state title appearances is an Iowa High School all class record. Johnston is the only team in class 5A to make at least the state semifinals each of the last 8 seasons and 9 out of the previous 10. Johnston has been ranked in the top 10 each week for the past 12 years. As head coach of the Dragons Coach Jilek has been named Iowa Coach of the Year 4 times, West District Coach of the Year 5 times, and Regional Coach of the Year 12 times. Prior to taking over the Johnston Basketball Program Coach Jilek spent 5 seasons as an assistant at Waukee High School where the team qualified for 5 straight state tournaments including 3 semifinals. Before moving to the Des Moines Metro area Coach Jilek spent 5 seasons as Head Coach at Mason City High School (girls), Nora Springs-Rock Falls High School (boys), and Remsen St. Mary's High School (boys). He also coached basketball at the freshman and sophomore levels at Clinton High School and Camanche High School. He is a 1993 graduate of Mason City High School. Coach Jilek earned a BA Degree in Elementary Education from Mt St. Clare College in 1999 and a Masters Degree in Education from Morningside College in 2008. He teaches 8th Grade Early American History at Waukee Middle School in the Waukee School District. Coach Jilek and his wife have two daughters and reside in Urbandale. If you wish to contact Coach Jilek you can email him at: [email protected]
Brad Buchan - Assistant Varsity
Coach Buchan is entering his 12th season with the girls basketball program. He He will be entering his second season as an assistant varsity coach. The previous 8 season he was the Head JV 1 Coach. Coach Buchan's JV1 teams had tremendous success including multiple undefeated seasons. Coach Buchan credits this success to the talented and hardworking players that have been a part of the program over the years. Coach Buchan has also been a key contributor to the Varsity program as an Assistant Coach during the Dragon's run of 11 straight State Tournament appearances and 4 State Titles. He has also spent many years working with our youth basketball players on skill development at our camps and skill sessions. Prior to joining the high school program, Coach Buchan was the head middle school boys and girls basketball coach at Johnston for 6 years. He was also a coach with the Urbandale boys basketball program in the late 90's. Coach Buchan graduated from Clear Lake High School in 1988 and the University of Northern Iowa in 1992. He teaches Digital Literacy at Summit Middle School in Johnston. Coach Buchan and his wife, Jodi, have two kids, Ben and Zoey, and reside in Johnston. If you wish to contact Coach Buchan, you can email him at: [email protected]
Bart Smith - Assistant Varsity
Coach Smith enters his 1st year as a varsity assistant coach for the Dragons. He brings eighteen years of head coaching experience to the program, with fourteen of those years being the head girls coach for the Clear Lake Lions. During his time there, he compiled a 253-76 record for the Lions with 6 state tournament appearances (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021) and reached the semi-finals in two of those years in 2020 and 2021. The Lions appeared in the regional finals 10 consecutive years from 2014-2023 and won the conference title 7 times during his tenure. Coach Smith was IBCA coach of the year in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2020. Prior to Clear Lake Coach Smith held two head boys basketball positions, one season for Cherokee in the 08’- 09’ season and 3 seasons at Alta from 05’- 08’ where he had a record of 61-8 and made the Boys State Basketball Tournament in 2006 in his first debut as the head coach for the Cyclones. Coach Smith has an all time record of 325-95 as a head coach. He is a 98’ high school graduate from Guthrie Center where he was a three sport athlete and then attended Buena Vista University in Storm Lake where he earned his BA in Education and also played football for the Beavers. He started 39 out of 40 games, was named newcomer of the year in 98’, defensive player of the year in 00’ and 01’ and was all-conference his junior and senior seasons for the Beavers. Coach Smith has 14 years of teaching experience in physical education and is currently in his first year as the 10th-12th grade PE instructor at the Waukee High School. Before taking the position at Waukee he was a PE/weights instructor at Clear Lake for 13 years and Cherokee for one year. Coach Smith and his wife Amanda and four children Beckett (forever 12 step-son died in 2021) and daughters Huttyn (10), Nash (6) and Sutter (6) reside in the Waukee area. If you wish to contact Coach Smith, you can email him at: [email protected] or [email protected] .
Mallory Bernhard - Assistant Varsity
Coach Bernhard is entering her first season as an assistant coach with the Johnston Girls Basketball Program. She joins the Dragons after 12 seasons at the University of North Dakota, including the past five as Head Coach. During her time leading the Fighting Hawks, UND achieved one of the largest win improvements in NCAA Division I women’s basketball from year to year (2021-22) and produced multiple All-Summit League performers.
Before taking over the program at UND, Coach Bernhard served as both Associate Head Coach and Assistant Coach, overseeing recruiting, player development, and team operations. Prior to her collegiate coaching career, she was the Head Coach at Assumption High School in Davenport, Iowa, where she guided her teams to back to back state tournament appearances both years at the helm, was named Iowa Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2013 and compiled an overall record of 50-4.
A native of Davenport, Iowa Coach Bernhard earned her bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, Exercise Science, and Wellness and her master’s degree in Kinesiology. Coach Bernhard and husband have two children, Lou and Lizzie. If you wish to contact Coach Bernhard you can email her at: [email protected]
Before taking over the program at UND, Coach Bernhard served as both Associate Head Coach and Assistant Coach, overseeing recruiting, player development, and team operations. Prior to her collegiate coaching career, she was the Head Coach at Assumption High School in Davenport, Iowa, where she guided her teams to back to back state tournament appearances both years at the helm, was named Iowa Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2013 and compiled an overall record of 50-4.
A native of Davenport, Iowa Coach Bernhard earned her bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, Exercise Science, and Wellness and her master’s degree in Kinesiology. Coach Bernhard and husband have two children, Lou and Lizzie. If you wish to contact Coach Bernhard you can email her at: [email protected]
Christine Wolford - Head JV 1
Christine Wolford will be entering her 10th season with the girls basketball program and her 1st as the Head JV 1 Coach. The previous 5 years Coach Wolford was the Head JV 2 coach. Her efforts with the younger players has been an important part of our success. She also plays a big part on game nights as she helps complete the stats for the varsity game. She came to us with 13 years of experience at the varsity level in Ohio and Texas and 2 years at the middle school in Johnston. Coach Wolford graduated from Laughlin High School in Laughlin Nevada in 1997 where she participated in Volleyball, Basketball, Track, and Softball. She went on to Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado where she was a member of the basketball and track team and graduated in 2003 with a BA in Accounting, Economic and Finance. Coach Wolford is an intervention specialist at Johnston High School. She and her son, Wayde, reside in Urbandale. If you need to contact Coach Wolford you can email her at: [email protected]
Steve Valline - Head JV 2
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This is Coach Valline's second year with the girls basketball program. Coach Valline has over 12 years of high school boys basketball coaching experience and 14 years coaching youth girls basketball. You may have seen him refereeing basketball games over the years, as well. Coach likes to focus on the fundamentals and teach his players the game of basketball. Coach Valline and his wife, Tami, have two girls, Martina and Olivia. If you wish to contact Coach Valline, you can email him at: [email protected]
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