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Former Edison, Orange Coast College football coach Bill Workman dies at age 82

July 7, 2023

Bill Workman, who built Edison’s football program into an Orange County powerhouse in the late 1970s and early ’80s, and later coached at Orange Coast College, has died at age 82, his daughter Julie confirmed.

The longtime Fountain Valley resident died Monday after fighting Lewy body dementia the past few years, she said.

In his 13 seasons as Edison’s coach, Workman guided the school to CIF-SS Big-Five Conference titles in 1979 and 1980, and a Big-Five co-championship in 1985, his final season.

His teams won a then-county record 32 consecutive games from 1979-81 and featured standouts such as Kerwin Bell, Frank Seurer, Mark Boyer and Bill Malavasi.

“Great coach,” said former Edison coach Dave White, who played and coached for Workman. “He was a player’s coach. You liked playing for him. He made it fun to work hard.”

Workman compiled a 109-33-5 record at Edison. The Chargers won seven Sunset League titles, and never posted a losing record.

In 1980, Edison won the section championship by defeating rival Fountain Valley 14-0 before a crowd of nearly 29,000 at Angel Stadium.

But Workman focused on much more than winning.

The graduate of Whitter College was known for mentoring players to be responsible and strive for success on and off the field. He advocated for players to be tested for drugs and alcohol.

“His most important thing was being with the kids, and mentoring young kids,” Julie said of her father. “He taught the guys how to act, and how to respond in certain situations.”

On the field, Workman instilled the program with pride. He added a popular lightning bolt to the team’s pants for games and started the “Stand Tall” tradition of Edison players placing their hands at their waist between plays, Julie said.

Workman left Edison for Orange Coast College, where he replaced longtime coach Dick Tucker.

Workman highlighted his 13-year tenure by leading the Pirates to a Mission Conference title in 1990. He resigned in 1999 with a 63-70 record.

During White’s final season as Edison’s head coach in 2016, Workman was a frequent visitor on the Chargers’ sideline. He also attended the Edison-Fountain Valley rivalry game last season.

“(He was) a second father to me,” White said. “He’s in a better place now.”

Workman is survived by his wife Sheri, daughters Julie and Jana and nine grandchildren. Two of his grand-daughters, twins Sydnee and Jordyn Norwood, play basketball at Crean Lutheran.

Funeral service plans are pending, Julie said.

Please send football news to Dan Albano at [email protected] or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter

Orange County Register

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Former Edison, Orange Coast College football coach Bill Workman dies at age 82

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