MADISON, Wis. -- Mark Johnson doesn’t know for sure when he’ll retire as coach of the Wisconsin women’s hockey program, but he knows exactly what he’s going to do once he does.

It will still involve teamwork and connecting with kids. It will still have a heavy emphasis on teaching and family.

But there will be no trophy presentations, no championship banners and little acclaim.

Johnson is good with all that.

“As I wind down and I get closer to the end of coaching,’’ he said, “what’s going to wake me up with a purpose?’’

The answer involves a 20-acre parcel of land not far from the Military Ridge Bike Trail as it meanders thru the hamlet of Riley.

It involves a 10-year-old idea, an intense desire to serve others, an inspirational book and a wife’s special dream.

It also involves an iconic favorite son eventually stepping away from the UW dynasty he created to embrace a unique project built around faith, love and selflessness.

Johnson is gearing up for his 20th season as coach of the Badgers with the usual grand plans and high expectations. His club is the reigning NCAA champion and ranked No. 1 in all the pertinent polls heading into its season-opening non-conference series at Lindenwood on Thursday and Friday.

Johnson, the most successful coach in women’s college hockey history and USA Hockey Hall of Famer, needs six victories to become the only member of the 600-win club (594-113-53, .816). Wisconsin has won a record seven NCAA championships during his tenure, including three of the last five. UW also owns 18 Western Collegiate Hockey Association crowns, nine each from the regular season and playoff tournament.

But Johnson, who just turned 66, doesn’t see himself coaching into his 70s. He’s been a prominent figure on the local hockey scene since he was a teenager at Madison Memorial High School. He starred at UW, became an international legend by way of an Olympic gold medal in 1980, played 11 decorated seasons in the NHL and was an assistant coach for the Wisconsin men’s program before taking over the women’s team at his alma mater in 2002.

Johnson and his wife, Leslie, have five married children and eight grandchildren. The last four or five years have been about planning for life after decades of dancing to hockey’s beat. All that packing and moving while playing for five NHL teams as well as a two-year stint in Europe. All those recruiting trips, road games, practices and other coaching demands. All the ups, downs, triumphs, doubts and sacrifices.

The Johnsons believe they have found their next life. Which brings us to a peaceful, secluded tract of land in the Town of Cross Plains. The rolling terrain is surrounded by a cornfield and a large plot of prairie grasses. Eagles, hummingbirds, deer, blue birds, coyotes, blue jays and turkeys are on the list of viewing attractions.

It’s where Agape Ranch is taking shape. In Christianity, “agape’’ means “the highest form of love and charity’’ and the “love of God for man and of man for God.’’ It defines a ministry the Johnsons, who have been married 43 years, want to share with as many people as possible as soon as possible. It’s all about experiencing the power of God’s love through animals, land and people. 

“My marriage has consisted of hockey – full-time hockey – for a long, long time,’’ Mark said. “One of my things is why not do something that Leslie’s passionate about, that she enjoys, that she gets up in the morning and loves to do?

“If we’re able to do that in a way that we can give back and affect peoples’ lives in a positive way, whether it’s giving them hope or just loving them for a while, that’s a good thing.

“If you’re passionate about something and you get up in the morning excited, then you’re probably doing the right thing whatever that is.’’

For the last 10 years, Leslie has been motivated to find an outlet for her short list of passions.

“I love horses, I love kids, I love God,’’ she said. “How would I incorporate the three?’’

The answer started to come to life in 2017 when Leslie read “Hope Rising’’ by Kim Meeder. The book chronicled how the author rescued abused and neglected horses and brought them together with kids in need, showcasing the transformative power of God’s love.

The author was nine when her dad shot and killed her mother and took his own life. Meeder and her two sisters went to live with their grandmother. A pony helped Meeder heal.

“Mark, this is exactly what I want,’’ Leslie declared.

While searching for the ideal property in the Madison area, the Johnsons attended a four-day informational clinic, run by Meeder and her husband Troy, in Bend, Oregon.  The experience not only clarified their vision for a ministry, but also laid the foundation for the logistics of their dream.

“We left there thinking, ‘We need to find land,’’’ Leslie said.

The Johnsons looked at 14 properties before deciding on their place on Coray Lane. There was one in Fitchburg that Leslie really liked, but “for a lot reasons, it fell through,’’ Mark said.

Turns out the Johnsons learned that an old acquaintance from Memorial High School – he once dated Mark’s sister – had a parcel to sell. It’s better than the one in Fitchburg.

“It was meant to be,’’ Leslie said.

“We were able to work something out,’’ Mark said.

The Agape Ranch project was delayed for a variety of pandemic-related issues, but it’s picking up steam. A blacktop driveway brings you to a prairie-style ranch home where Mark and Leslie reside. Another home on the property belongs to their son Patrick, a Madison paramedic who’s on the five-person board of directors, and his wife Hannah.

A large outdoor sitting space, complete with a wood-burning fireplace and a place for a large TV, is one of the focal points of the main house. The patio overlooks an empty pasture that will soon feature a barn, indoor facility and exercise areas for the horses and other livestock. There will be a garden, a chicken coop, a space for making crafts as well as a woodworking shop. There will be paths to ride the horses.

Leslie envisions a time when kids, accompanied by family members, will come out and tend to rows of carrots, strawberries, pumpkins and tomatoes in the garden, then adjourn to the craft shop to make a small crate to take fresh food items home with them. Volunteer instructors will be at the ready.

“I have so many ideas running through my head,’’ she said.

Leslie will start with three calm, gentle, easy-going horses: Maddie, Bob and Hummer. Her deep love for horses is rooted in her childhood when she and her sister Karen would spend summers with aunt Mary and uncle Bill in Pottsville, Iowa.

“Some people will never ride a horse,’’ Leslie said of visitors to the ranch. “For some, that’s all they’ll want to do.’’

Mark noted that Agape Ranch is not just about kids. He said it might be an ideal place for a war veteran to volunteer and find purpose, whether it’s grooming and feeding the horses, cleaning stalls or doing other chores.

“When he leaves maybe he has hope tomorrow will be a better day,’’ Johnson said.

The mission, Mark said, is combining faith with love that creates hope for children and their families in search of healing. “It starts with kids, but it could be anybody,’’ he said.

Mark and Leslie tentatively plan to have Agape Ranch fully operational by the spring of 2025, but that could be revised by the results of their foundation’s fundraising effort. More information can be found at www.agaperanchwi.com.

“You don’t have to love God,’’ Leslie said, “but you have to know that you are loved by God. If you don’t love him, you can still come here.’