Under the Friday Night Lights and in the quiet hum of a math classroom, one teacher at Somerville High School lives a double life that has just one calling: helping students grow.
Mr. John Hoehn is a math teacher and football coach at Somerville High School. Originally from New Jersey, he spent seven years coaching at Sayreville High School before transferring to Somerville, where he has now been for four years, finding success both on and off the football field.
When interviewed, Mr. Hoehn explained his reasoning behind becoming a football coach.
“My high school coach was a huge mentor to me. He was a great coach too and won multiple championships. When I first started to coach football, I worked with him for seven years before I came to SHS,” he said.
That early exposure showed him what it meant to lead and to care about players as people, not just athletes.
He also described how the arrival of Coach Bloom and the deep sense of pride in the Somerville and Branchburg community convinced him to stay at SHS.
“Right out of college I applied for jobs and this was one of the ones that I got. I picked to go here and I love it here,” he said. “Working here as a teacher was great, and what drove me to stay here was the hiring of Coach Bloom and the love for the Somerville and Branchburg community.”
He didn’t just work here; he belonged here.
When asked about his favorite part of the job, both in class and on the football field, Mr. Hoehn didn’t hesitate. “It’s the same for both: seeing growth in the kids. It’s the best part of being a coach and a teacher, seeing kids grow into a better player or student, and improving in life.”
That commitment to growth shows in the way he stays connected with former players, like Rutgers University running back Terrell Mitchell, ‘25, Old Dominion University wide receiver Joshua Rodriguez, ‘25, and University of Wisconsin defensive lineman Jayden Loftin, ‘25. All three are former Somerville players who went on to succeed on the Division I level under Coach Hoehn’s guidance, and he continues to be a mentor as they learn new skills and face new challenges in college.
After hearing so much about his life in football and in the classroom, I asked what he might be doing if he weren’t a coach or math teacher.
He laughed and said, “Everyone in my family paints lines on streets, driveways, and roads so I would probably be a part of the family business.” Even in a different career, he’d still be helping people find their way, just in a more literal sense.
As a teacher and coach, Mr. Hoehn bridges two worlds that many students see as separate. However, in his life, they are completely connected. The discipline needed to study for a test is the same discipline it takes to run sprints after practice. The teamwork required to solve a complex math problem is the same teamwork needed to execute a play under pressure. He shows his students that both numbers and playbooks demand patience, effort, and resilience. Success in either arena is built one small improvement at a time.
In the end, Mr. Hoehn’s story is less about trophies or test scores and more about transformation. Through equations and drills, chalkboards and chalk lines on the field, he is quietly shaping lives one play or question at a time.
