Former Adna coach KC Johnson led the Pirates for over two decades, and on Sunday, he was inducted into the Washington State Football Coaches Association (WSFCA) Hall Of Fame.
Johnson was inducted alongside three other coaches — Eric Kurle (Graham-Kapowsin, Bethel, and Clover Park), Mike Morgan (Colfax), and Dave McKenna (Gonzaga Prep) — in a ceremony at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton.
Johnson grew up in Raymond before attending Toledo, and he went on to play football at both Western Washington and Central Washington. After spending time as an assistant at Toutle Lake, Zillah, Wapato, and Ilwaco, Johnson landed his first head coaching job at Ilwaco.
After three years in Ilwaco, he spent a short time at Shoreline before taking over in Adna in 2001.
In a WSFCA Press Release, Johnson said that “it was truly the most rewarding decision” he ever made.
Across 21 years, Johnson went 150-75, making the state postseason 15 times, the state quarterfinals 10 times, and the semifinals four times. In 2009, he led the Pirates to a state championship.
He also earned the league’s Coach of the Year award “a few times,” a District 4 Coach of the Year award in 2007, and he was named the 2B State Coach of the Year twice.
“I will always love the community, school district, players, and families of the young men I was fortunate enough to coach as a part of The Pirate Nation,” Johnson said in the release. “We built an amazing coaching staff and though it changed a few times over my two decades in Adna, it was a pleasure to work with so many talented coaches.”
