Cypress’ Johnson Is Stepping Down : Basketball: The winningest community college men’s coach in California history says 27th season will be his last.

Don Johnson, the winningest community college men’s basketball coach in the history of California, said Tuesday he is retiring from Cypress College at the end of the season.

Johnson, a former All-American at UCLA, is stepping down after 27 years with the Chargers. He led Cypress to State titles in 1978 and 1980.

Johnson, 63, has a record of 585-257 at Cypress, which has four regular-season games remaining. The Chargers are 12-17, 3-7 and in sixth place in the Orange Empire Conference.

“My greatest source of satisfaction has been dealing with the good kids who cared about our program,” Johnson said. “I’m going to reflect on all those kids who cared enough to become better players and better people.”

Johnson graduated from El Monte High School in 1948 and played at Fullerton College. He was the Eastern League’s most valuable player in the 1949-50 season.

He then went to UCLA, where he was an All-American in 1952 for Coach John Wooden. He led the Bruins in rebounding both seasons. Johnson was head coach at Pico Rivera El Rancho High School from 1954-66 before coming to Cypress to start the program.

The pressure he placed on himself got the best of him by 1971. He took off the 1971-72 season because of a stomach ulcer, then returned the next season, and, with the help of assistant Jack Long, continued to build one of the best programs in Southern California.

Cypress, which won seven conference titles, also won 20 or more games in each of 17 seasons. Besides winning two State titles, Johnson’s teams reached the State semifinals four times, most recently in the 1990-91 season.

Cypress has a reputation for getting the most out of his centers, including Mark Eaton and Swen Nater, both of whom played in the NBA.

Eaton, who didn’t compete in high school, played at UCLA and is in his 12th season with the Utah Jazz.

Johnson said he’s retiring for several reasons, including his age, and because Long and team manager Dick Kirk also are stepping down at the end of this season.

“Getting through each season has been a little more difficult in the last few years,” Johnson said.

Johnson is the second Orange County community college basketball coach to step down this season. Fullerton’s Colleen Riley, the winningest community college women’s basketball coach in the state’s history, recently announced that this is her final season.

“Only when you are near the end of something do you realize how important it is to you,” Johnson said. “I just feel fortunate to have worked with so many great people, including our boosters and fans who have supported us through the years.”

Don Johnson at Cypress

The year-by-year coaching record of Don Johnson, who announced he will retire after 27 seasons at Cypress College (record through games of Feb. 8):

Year W-L 1966-67 13-3 1967-68 20-10 1968-69 13-15 1969-70 21-8 1970-71 19-9 1972-73 16-16 1973-74 25-6 1974-75 20-8 1975-76 23-7 1976-77 30-1 1977-78 26-6 1978-79 34-2 1979-80 31-5 1980-81 21-14 1981-82 23-6 1982-83 16-14 1983-84 21-9 1984-85 14-12 1985-86 24-6 1986-87 18-15 1987-88 31-6 1988-89 13-17 1989-90 28-4 1990-91 26-11 1991-92 21-11 1992-93 26-9 1993-94 12-17 Totals 585-257