Not yet. Not that way.

Hall of Fame girls’ basketball coach Faith Johnson Patterson, asked to resign after two seasons at Eden Prairie, worried her decorated career would end on a bum note.

Then the Minneapolis Edison job unexpectedly opened. After some soul-searching, she decided to return to the North Side. She previously coached the North Polars from 1995 through 2009, leading them to 10 state tournaments and five state championships. She won three more state titles at DeLaSalle.

The expectations are lower at Edison and the challenges are greater. The Tommies ranked third in the Minneapolis City Conference but lost a combined four games last winter against North and South by an average of 32 points per outing. Previous coach Lenny Sedlock stepped down due to illness, Edison activities director Brett McNeal said.

Seeking Johnson Patterson "was a long shot, but if I didn't ask one of the best coaches in state history to take this job, then I wasn't doing my job," McNeal said.

After a trying experience at Eden Prairie, Johnson Patterson is ready to roll up her sleeves. The Tommies’ season opens at 7 p.m. Thursday at home against Triton.

“Eden Prairie was just a situation that wasn’t meant to be,” she said. “From that, though, I can better appreciate where I’m at to be able to inspire kids and make a difference.”

Johnson Patterson started Tuesday. She was pleasantly surprised with the reception she received from players who where young girls the last time she coached in a Minneapolis Public School.

“There were so happy that I was there for them,” she said. “One of them gave me a hug.”

Players knew they were in the presence of a successful coach and put on the best show possible.

“They were all working so hard to show me that they could play,” she said. “It was one of the most touching moments of my life. But I told them, ‘We are in this together.’”

How long she remains on the sidelines is unknown. Johnson Patterson said she hopes to pass the job onto current assistants and former players Tamara Moore and Mia Johnson. It was Johnson who gave McNeal the idea to call Patterson Johnson.

“It reminds me of the beginning stages of the North job,” she said. “The numbers are low. There’s a lack of resources. So success, to me, will be building confidence, giving players a quality experience, creating more enthusiasm, growing participation numbers and getting more support."