He’s the Key to Johnson’s Longevity

When Jack Long came to Cypress as an assistant men’s basketball coach in 1972, he had clear designs on career advancement.

He figured to work a few years as an assistant and then take over for Coach Don Johnson.

Johnson had taken off the 1971-72 season for health reasons and was returning. Long figured Johnson wouldn’t coach there forever. As the assistant, Long would be the prime choice to move up.

But things didn’t work out that way. Instead, Long has spent the last 22 seasons as an assistant to Johnson in one of the most successful programs in the state. Cypress, which won State titles in 1977 and 1980, has won 20 or more games in 16 of Long’s 22 seasons.

Johnson announced Tuesday that this season will be his last. Long also is retiring as a coach after the season and as a physical education teacher at the college in June. Cypress (13-17, 4-7 in the Orange Empire Conference), has three games left in the regular season, which ends Feb. 18.

Long graduated from Long Beach Wilson in 1954, then spent three years in the military.

Next, he enrolled at Long Beach State, where he earned his physical education degree and teaching credential, and played football and basketball. He coached and taught in Los Angeles-area high schools for 11 years before coming to Cypress.

Long, 57, said his desire to be a head coach quickly vanished after spending a few years working with Johnson.

“I never even applied anywhere,” Long said. “From an assistant’s standpoint this is the perfect job. Don listens to what I say and I’m given a lot of responsibilities. I can pretty much do anything I want. I became very comfortable here.”

Long handles several tasks for Cypress besides coaching. He also does the scheduling, makes travel plans, is in charge of fund-raising and runs the Charger tournaments.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that Jack saved my coaching career,” Johnson said. “Jack’s relieved me of much of the stress and given me a coaching companion . . . He’s one of the most efficient people I’ve ever met. I go home and plan the next day’s practice session and he does everything else.”

Long isn’t the only one in his family about to retire. His wife, Margaret, an elementary school teacher in Cypress, is in her last year of work as well.

Long has many lasting memories and long-term friendships with players--including Mark Eaton, currently in his 12th season with the Utah Jazz--but that’s not what he’ll miss most.

A family atmosphere always has surrounded the program. Long and his wife have four children and six grandchildren. Some rather vocal combination of the 10 are present at most Charger games.

“I think they might miss it more than me,” Long said. “But the grand kids’ cheering, that’s probably what stands out more than anything else, more than the wins and the losses.”

Notes

Eric Coleman, Justin Polosky and Christian Moore, all of Orange Coast, have made commitments to play football at four-year colleges this fall. Coleman, a wide receiver, is going to Eastern Michigan; Polosky, an offensive lineman, is headed for Tennessee Martin, and Moore, who returned kicks and punts, is going to Gardner-Webb College in Boiling Springs, N.C.