KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Former Katy High School football coach Mike Johnston is being remembered by colleagues and Katy leaders as a man of faith who built character in the teens he coached and shaped lives beyond the football field during his 21-year Tiger tenure, which included three state championships.
Johnston died Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. He was 78.
Today, Katy's football program is among the most successful in Texas, with nine state titles overall. That wasn't the case when Johnston arrived.
From struggles to state titles: Johnston's early years at Katy
Bill Haskett, who in 1982 was the principal at Katy High School, recalled how things were tough at first for Johnston and the Tigers.
"He really struggled because the kids had no weight room," Haskett said. "They were good kids, but they didn't have much to go by. They didn't have the commitment or the leadership that the coach provided, and it took a long time. It took several years to get everything going there."
Johnston was building more than a program, Haskett said.
"It took a while to get going, but I believed in Coach," Haskett said. "I was out there enough to know that he wasn't just trying to build a team, he was putting in a system that has carried forth for all these 40 plus years that (current coach) Gary Joseph is carrying on."
Johnston led the Tigers to state titles in 1997, 2000 and 2003.
Mayor Dusty Thiele is a longtime Katy football fan—his daughters are Katy High School graduates—and remembered Johnston as a great coach, a great man of faith, and a great builder of men.
"Coach Joseph (current Tigers coach) grew up under him, and learned what he did from him – how to run a program," Thiele said. Joseph was defensive coordinator under Johnston and took over as head coach in 2004. The Tigers have won five state titles under Joseph, the latest in 2020.
"A class guy who treated kids the right way"
Joseph remembered Johnston as "a class guy who treated kids the right way" and was one of the hardest-working Christian men he ever saw.
"I think that he was one of those guys that didn't care just about winning and losing, he cared about the kids, and that made him, to me, a great one," Joseph said. "He was a good man."
Don Clayton was another Johnston protégé. Clayton served as an assistant under Johnston before taking over at Livingston High School. He then ran into Johnston at a coaching clinic, where Johnston said he would love to see Clayton return to Katy. The Claytons returned to Katy, where he served as Katy's offensive coordinator before taking over in 1999 at the newly-opened Cinco Ranch High School.
"The thing about Mike was, he was just a strong Christian man," Clayton said. "We were going to do things the right way and treat kids the right way and help them grow up and be good young men."
Friday nights in red suspenders
Haskett, who today handles public address announcing at some Legacy Stadium games and is the namesake of Bill and Cindy Haskett Junior High School, said Johnston was a great friend. He remembered Johnston's red suspenders, which were a gift from Jason DeBusk, a former student and football player.
"Jason was an outstanding student, an honor student and hard worker," Haskett said. "He was a pretty big kid, and he developed cancer behind one knee and couldn't play anymore. And Jason kept coming out to the football practice field and to the games."
DeBusk lost his battle with cancer, but the suspenders were a reminder of his motto, "Never, never, never give up," Haskett said.
The attitude was contagious.
"The attitude that he inspired in his players, the winning attitude, the hard work and so forth, has a ripple effect throughout the student body," Haskett said. "Kids were excited to be Katy Tiger students. It seemed like it helped all the different programs."
Haskett said the directors of the Roaring Band from Tigerland, the Bengal Brigade drill team and the cheerleaders all wanted to help support the team.
"It carried over and the community got excited about seeing winning football in Katy, and it became the thing to do, to go see Katy play football, and Mike was such a great leader," Haskett said. "He supported all the athletic programs, not just the football program."
Final tribute: Red suspenders and Katy Tiger pride
Johnston retired from Katy in 2004, and then coached at Houston Christian High School from 2004-11 before hanging up his coach's whistle for good.
Kyle Johnston, the coach's nephew, said Johnston will be buried wearing those red suspenders, along with a red coat he wore at awards ceremonies. Family members selected a casket that is metallic red with a Katy Tigers logo stitched into the inner lining — a tribute to the program and community he transformed.
"It all just came together," Johnston said.
Johnston's path to Katy: A lifetime in Texas football
Johnston was born June 28, 1947, in Huntsville. He grew up in Galena Park and played college football from 1965-68 at Stephen F. Austin State University. While at SFA, he played for Jack Rhoads and Gordon Brown, both future Katy ISD administrators. Rhoads and his wife Sharon are the namesakes of Rhoads Elementary School (not to be confused with Jack Rhodes, namesake for Rhodes Stadium). Brown was a Katy ISD superintendent.
Johnston coached at Hull-Daisetta, Nacogdoches, Beaumont Forest Park and Abilene before joining Katy as an assistant coach in 1980.
Sharing his faith in Katy
Mayor Thiele said there was more to Johnston than football.
"I know he's a great influence on a lot of boys in the area on how to act as a man, and I know he's a man of faith," Thiele said. "I visit most of the churches in Katy. He was always at First Baptist Church."
Former Mayor Skip Conner and Johnston were part of prayer breakfast group that met at 9 a.m. Wednesday mornings at Snappy's Café and Grill, 5803 Highway Blvd. Conner said the group, about 12 in number, are mostly from First Baptist Katy, with some others from Second Baptist Church.
"It was started by Mike Johnston and a fellow named Roger Parker," Conner said. "Mike played high school football at Galena Park. Roger Parker played football at Garland. They played against each other in the 1964 state championship game which Garland won. And they got back together here and they started meeting. It just kind of grew from those two."
Recognition on and off the field Johnston's influence was felt both in Katy and across the Texas high school football community. He served as president and director of the Texas High School Coaches Association, which is the largest coaches association in the United States.
When Katy ISD opened Legacy Stadium in 2017, it also established its Athletics Hall of Honor. Johnston was a charter member, and the field at the stadium bears his name.
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Mike Johnston's name is memorialized at Legacy Stadium.
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Mike Johnston
"He's very well respected, not only in the state, but the country, and with anybody that knows anything about Texas football," Clayton said.
Survivors and funeral arrangements
The coach is survived by his wife, Donna; sons Russ (Cynthia) and Paul Johnston; brother Steve (Judy) Johnston; grandchildren Elliott, Reece and Sidney; step-grandchild Joshua Greenmum; nieces and nephew, Staci Johnston, Kyle Johnston, and Deetra (Dr. Chad) Hammett. He was preceded in death by parents Burl Johnston and Altha Johnston.Visitation is from 5-6 p.m. Thursday at Schmidt Funeral Home, 1344 W. Grand Parkway South. The funeral is at 1 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Katy, 600 Pin Oak.
Also see: Mike Johnston funeral service
Also read: Obituary: Legendary Katy Football Coach Mike Johnston