Legendary OC Football Coach to Retire

Hall of Fame Los Alamitos High School Football Coach, the winningest active coach in the state, John Barnes announced his retirement today.

Over his 37-year career, Barnes won 321 games, four CIF Championship titles and 17 league championships. In 2013, he was elected to the State Hall of Fame and was the National Coach of the Year in 2002 and California Coach of the Year in 1993, according to Los Alamitos Unified School District Superintendent Sherry Kropp.

“Coach Barnes built the reputation of Los Al football from a local team to a national powerhouse,” Kropp said in a written statement. “He epitomizes Los Al For Life and what it means to be a Coach; his legacy has impacted generations of Los Alamitos alumni, families, community members, and the world of high school football.”

Over the years, Barnes has coached his own sons Brian and Jimmy Barnes, as well as athletes who went on to play for top universities and the National Football League.

“Coach John Barnes is THE LOS AL WAY,” said Diana Hill, Los Alamitos Unified Board President and former Los Al Football Booster President ’05. “A tradition for 37 years, he has shown us how to win, how to grow from our challenges, and how to do it all with honor and grace. We will always be grateful from the bottom of our hearts.”

Photos: Los Alamitos Unified School District