CdM football coach won’t be Johnson

Corona del Mar High will have to wait longer for a new football coach.

Chad Johnson, who was a favorite to take the job, pulled himself out of the running, Trabuco Hills Coach Jason Negro said Tuesday.

Johnson had been fearing the security of a teaching job at CdM, Negro said.

“It had nothing to do with the school,” Negro said. “There was no negativity or anything like that. It came down to a teaching job.”

Johnson, 28, a history teacher at Trabuco Hills, survived the recent layoffs in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. Johnson is also expected to be back on the Mustangs staff, Negro said.

Johnson has been the offensive coordinator the last two years. He’s also the strength and conditioning coach and for three years he had worked with the tight ends, special teams and offensive line.

Johnson, an honorable mention All-American kicker at Hofstra University, helped the Mustangs reach the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division championship game last fall. Trabuco Hills won the Sea View League.

“I didn’t want him to leave in the first place,” Negro said. “But he has to be one of the top assistants in the county. I just think it’s bad timing for him right now.”

Erik Terry, Irvine’s offensive coordinator who was a finalist for the CdM coaching job, said he was recently told that the school was moving in a different direction instead of offering him the job. Asked if he would be interested if the job was made available to him now, he said he did not know.

Terry also works as the assistant athletic director at Irvine.

Corona del Mar has been without a football coach since December when former head man Dick Freeman was fired after 12-plus seasons, the latter producing a 4-5 year when the Sea Kings missed the CIF playoffs for the first time since 2003.

Corona del Mar might receive some help in the form of Paul Orris, the athletic director who had been away because of brain aneurysm surgery he had last month. He is expected to be back working as the athletic director April 14, Corona del Mar boys’ basketball coach Ryan Schachter said.

Orris, 60, who teaches math, might also resume his job as teacher.