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    Memorial service for football coach Bob Johnson set for April 25
    • March 30, 2026

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    A memorial service for Hall of Fame football coach Bob Johnson will be held in the Mission Viejo High gym on April 25 at 1 p.m., his son Bret confirmed.

    Johnson, who built powerhouse programs at El Toro and Mission Viejo, died on March 11 at age 80 after a long fight with Alzheimer’s disease.

    His family has requested that those planning to attend the celebration of life leave a message on the coach’s online memorial site.

    Johnson retired from coaching after the 2017 season with Mission Viejo as Orange County’s all-time leader in coaching victories with 338. He now ranks second in county history Mater Dei’s Bruce Rollinson (341).

    Johnson led Mission Viejo to five CIF-SS championships and one state title during his run from 1999-2017.

    He guided El Toro to three section championships during his tenure from 1978 to 1990.

    Between the two schools, he compiled 22 league title and made 32 playoff appearances.

    “Bob Johnson really defined high school football for Orange County and Southern California in the modern era,” said Dennis Bateman, a football historian and author of The Orange County Football Book. “First at El Toro, then again at Mission Viejo, Bob Johnson created the kind of football program that not only maintained an elite level of play, it seemed specifically geared toward producing players who would go on to the next level.”

    “That kind of player development, both in his football programs and the Elite 11 quarterback camp that he co-founded, was his signature achievement that changed the game of high school football into what it is today,” Bateman added.

    Johnson’s legacy includes his son Bret and Rob Johnson, who were standout quarterbacks at El Toro and played in the college and professional ranks.

    Johnson’s grandson Brock was a championship-winning quarterback at Mission Viejo. Johnson’s grandson Bo now plays football at Mission Viejo.

    Johnson coached Los Amigos for three seasons before arriving at El Toro.

    He was inducted into the CIF-SS Hall of Fame in 2018 and California High School Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

    ​ Orange County Register 

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