Maranatha Christian Academy

Faith Johnson Patterson is entering her second season as head coach for the Mustangs. During her first season in 2023-24, she led the girls to a second place finish in the Skyline Conference. 

She played high school basketball for Marshall University High School and received a Division I scholarship to play college basketball for the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she majored in Communications.

Faith began her coaching career as an assistant coach at The Blake School where she was an assistant coach for the 30-0 class A championship team in 1994. She was recruited to become the head coach at Minneapolis North in 1995. She asked her boyfriend, now husband John, to join her and the rest is history!

She has an overall head coaching record of 526-195 resulting in 15 conference championships, 14 section championships, and 14 high school state tournament appearances resulting in 8 class 3A championships, 4 runner-ups, and 2 third place finishes.

She ranks #1 in Minnesota Girls Basketball State History for Highest Winning Percentage at the state tournament at 85.7% with a record of 36-6. She ranks #3 in Minnesota Girls Basketball State History for Most State Tournament Appearances (14) and #1 for Most Consecutive State Tournament Appearances (9). She also ranks #1 in Minnesota Girls Basketball State History for Most State Championships (8). Faith became the first African American female head coach to coach in and win a high school girls basketball state championship. She is the first and only African-American girls’ basketball coach to be inducted into; The Minnesota High School Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, The Minnesota Basketball Hall of Fame, and The Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame. She’s been named one of the 5 best high school basketball coaches in Minnesota’s high school state tournament history (only female and African-American). She ranks #1 and #2 amongst high school girls’ basketball coaches in multiple categories in Minnesota state history.

Faith was featured in Sports Illustrated magazine in 2002, in an ESPN sport feature 2008, “What Does a Female Athlete Look Like”, featured in the documentary, “Game On: Women Can Coach”, and was a 2014 USA Today nominee for National girls’ coach of the year.

She’s been voted “Coach of The Year” several times by multiple venues. Her Minneapolis North and DeLaSalle high school basketball teams have received national rankings along with being nominated by USA Today for National team and Coach of the Year.

Her programs have produced many Division 1, 2, and 3 athletes resulting in over 3 million dollars in scholarships.
Together, Faith and John, have the mindset to put God first. This belief system has been the driving force behind
their coaching success. They are most proud of the off-court success of so many of their former athletes who
have earned college degrees, have pursued a career in coaching, are giving back to their respective communities,
and most importantly, have placed God first in their lives.