Bio

Talk sports, and you're talking T. Mark Johnson. Talk RCC coaching, and you're talking T. Mark Johnson. Talk student athletes, and, yes, you're talking T. Mark Johnson.

A former RCC coach and athletic director, T. Mark Johnson came to the College in the 1960s, in the midst of administration turbulence, student unrest, and the departure of Poly High School from the Riverside City Campus to its current location on Central Avenue.

It was a busy time because on top of his duties as a track coach, he was responsible for the Physical Education Department and facility use. When I first came to RCC, I spent a lot of time outside of coaching, talking to students, counseling, listening, and trying to figure out why they were so angry with the system,, T. Mark says.

During his 20 years at RCC, T. Mark met some of the genuine starss of community college athletics, including future NFL kicker/punter Frank Corral and Vic Diaz, who would go on to become one of the world's top pole vaulters. As a former athlete himself, he understands the unique pressures that are placed on student athletes. (T. Mark was a three-sport letterman at Kansas State University, and later worked for 13 years in Kansas as a coach and athletic administrator while earning his master's degree from the University of Iowa.)


One of my fondest memories at RCC would be seeing the growth of women's athletic programs,, says T. Mark, and being able to work on creating the California Community College Athletic Directors Association in 1975..

After leaving RCC, T. Mark went on to serve as an officer in the Orange Empire and South Coast conferences, and he currently serves as commissioner of the Mission Football Conference. In addition, he continued to work on a statewide level, serving on the Constitution Committee and the Management Counseling Commission, which establishes rules and regulations for California Community College athletics.


I've worked with almost every community college in the state,, T. Mark notes, then goes on to rate RCC as one of the top colleges. RCC ranks right up there in terms of how they handle athletic programs. They run a first class operation and are very, very good at getting things done..

Many who know T. Mark attribute the dedication and drive he has shown during his 58 years in athletics to his background as an athlete and his tour of duty with the U.S. Navy as a dive bomber pilot and squadron leader who flew combat missions in the South Pacific. After more than a half century of work, they say, T. Mark continues to be a passionate advocate for community college athletics.


You have to put the time in, discussing problems and possible solutions,, says the man who grew up on a farm in northeastern Kansas. Once you identify common issues you can come up with the answers and move forward..

Bio Complements of Riverside CC