On Friday afternoon, RHS alum Glenn Johnson announced via Facebook that his father, Fred Johnson, the second winningest coach in RHS history and the man behind Rockdale’s first ever state championship, passed away at the age of 90.
In addition to getting Rockdale their first ever title, he was known as the architect behind the “golden age of Rockdale athletics” and led the Tigers to five district championship from 1973 through 1980 with two state quarterfinal appearances. He did all this during a time when only one team from each district made it to the playoffs.
Johnson also coached at Midlothian and Rosenberg following Rockdale and had a record of 165- 102-2 before retiring in 1989. Seventy of those wins were at RHS and the only coach to have more with the Blue-and-Gold is Jeff Miller, who had 106.
Johnson also coached at Mission, Gonzales, Angleton and Kerrville-Tivy, where he was a 1948 graduate and was inducted into their school’s hall of fame in 2011, the same year he became an inductee in Rockdale’s first ever Hall of Honor class.
Johnson was also a graduate of Rice University, where he played football and ran track for the Owls.
Funeral services for the former Rockdale coach will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday at the Lakeland Hills Memorial Park in Burnet. The address is 4219, Park Road 4 South, Burnet, TX.
Edgar Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.