ORLANDO-Still capitalizing on the name recognition of former professional athletes, Ponte Vedra Beach-based Paragon Financial Corp. has signed US Olympic baseball team coach Davey Johnson to a multi-year contract. Johnson will serve as a mortgage origination specialist in the firm's Orlando office. Contract terms were not disclosed.

Edward Parnell, president of Paragon Homefunding, says Johnson will play "a key role" in opening new Central Florida offices to serve New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and surrounding areas. "His previous experience as a Realtor and the relationships and contacts he developed while operating his former business, make Davey the ideal candidate to lead our expansion efforts" in Central Florida, Parnell says.

Johnson, 63, born in suburban Winter Park, is Paragon's second former athlete signed in recent weeks. Former hockey great Phil Esposito, 64, is a mortgage origination specialist in the firm's Tampa office, as GlobeSt.com previously reported. Johnson is a former special assistant to the athletic director at Rollins College in Winter Park.

After retiring from major league baseball in 2001, Johnson was active in commercial and residential real estate through his Major League Realty firm based in New Smyrna Beach. He later sold the company to Coldwell Banker.

A graduate of Texas A&M, Johnson spent 13 seasons as a second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs from 1965 to 1978. He was a four-time All Star while earning three Gold Glove awards. Johnson played on two World Series championship teams with the Baltimore Orioles and finished his career with a .261 batting average, 1,252 career hits and 136 homeruns, according to widely published league statistics.

Johnson was named manager of the New York Mets in 1984 and led the team to the 1986 World Series championship. In six full seasons with the Mets, his teams won two division championships and never finished worse than second in their division. He had a .601 winning percentage before leaving the team during the 1990 season.

He later managed the Cincinnati Reds from 1993 to 1995; the Baltimore Orioles from 1996 to 1997; and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1999 to 2000. Johnson led the Reds to the 1995 National League championship series and the Orioles to the American League championship series in 1996 and 1997.