 HEAD COACH JOHN FEATHERSTONE
When young Coach John Featherstone arrived at El Camino College in 1985 he made only one promise and that was to keep the winning tradition alive. Whether it be on the field, in the classroom, or in the community, Coach Featherstone encourages his players to strive for excellence athletically and to pursue a college education while representing ECC in a first-class professional manner.
The rest is history. Coach Featherstone is the winningest head football coach at El Camino College for the past 22 years with 166-73-1 record (69.2 %). He also has the highest winning percentage of any active coach in the southern section of California, including 36 community colleges from Bakersfield to San Diego.
This past January, Coach Featherstone was voted the National Coach of the Year for the second time, along with accepting his eighth California State Coach of the Year award. Coach Featherstone and his wife were honored in San Antonio, Texas by the major college American Football Coaches Association.
“I always look at any honor as a coaching staff award because we’re all in this together,” said Featherstone.
The fired-up eternal optimist has guided the El Camino College program to national prominence and he’s pumped up for the 2007 season. At age 58, most coaches start thinking about retirement. Not Featherstone.
“Shoot…I’m just beginning my career. I love teaching and coaching,:” he said “My job never gets old. Each year is a new challenge. It keeps me going and every morning I pinch myself because I have the opportunity to go to work and really enjoy what I do. I’m a blessed and lucky man.”
His guidance, enthusiasm and “never say die” attitude has propelled the Warrior football program to one National Championship, two State Championships, another National Championship appearance, nine conference titles, and 16 bowl games (including seven straight from 1994-00).
Elected into the El Camino College Hall of Fame in 2005 and receiving the National All American Football Foundation Head Coach Award in 2004, the highly competitive eight-time Coach of the Year credits all of his outstanding assistants for the continued success.
“I’ve had a bunch of great veteran coaches and some excellent young part-time assistants who have worked so hard to build one of the top football programs in the country,” Featherstone said. “We take a lot of pride in winning and representing El Camino College in a very professional manner. I also want to thank Coach Don Coryell, my former coach at San Diego State, for having faith in me and giving me my first chance to coach. He is one of the finest men I’ve had the honor of knowing.”
The Warriors were champions in 2005 and Coach Featherstone was selected Southern California Coach of the Year; he was also honored at the American Football Coaches Association National Convention in Dallas, Texas as a keynote speaker.
The 2005 season was a great year for the Warriors as they battled through the Mission Conference, undefeated at 10-0. The 2006 season was even more exciting as the Warriors captured another California State championship with a resounding 49-35 victory over City College of San Francisco in Fresno, California.
So, how does he get these kinds of results from his players? Both on and off the football field, he instills in his players a simple motto: “Dream. Prepare. Endure. Achieve!”
Long before building his legacy at El Camino College, Featherstone worked his way up the ranks, first recognized for his offensive prowess as a quarterback, running back and wide receiver at Mira Costa High School.
Also prepping in track and field, baseball and volleyball, he earned All-CIF honors as a wide receiver for the Mustangs in 1967.
From there, Featherstone played two years of football at El Camino College, earning all-conference honors and receiving a scholarship offer to play for Coryell at SDSU, making an immediate impact in his junior year, leading the Aztecs to a win in the 1969 Pasadena Bowl before 52,000 fans. Named Most Valuable Player of the game, it was his pair of touchdowns that led the Aztecs to a record of 11-0 on the season and a 12th place finish in the National AP Poll.
He received a bachelor’s degree from SDSU in 1970, majoring in journalism with a minor in physical education. In 1973, he received his master’s degree in physical education. Undaunted by the challenge of translating success on the field to winning from the sidelines, Featherstone took his first coaching position at SDSU in 1971. As wide receivers coach, one of his first protégés, Isaac Curtis, went on to become a Pro Bowl receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. Staying in San Diego, he went on to coach quarterbacks and wide receivers at Grossmont College for four years, helping the Griffins win a state title in 1974. He also coached Player of the Year QB Joe Roth who became an All-American at Cal Berkeley before passing away in 1977 due to cancer. In 1975, Featherstone replaced former NFL head coach Mike Martz of the St. Louis Rams at San Diego Mesa College, working as the team’s offensive coordinator, from 1979-1980. During his two years at Mesa, he led the team to back-to-back conference titles. He also tutored future SDSU All-American QB Matt Kofler, now the current San Diego Mesa head coach. Returning to his collegiate coaching roots as wide receivers coach at San Diego State in 1980, he worked with the legendary Claude Gilbert and then with future NFL coaches Doug Scovil and head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, Brian Billick. Breaking away from San Diego, Featherstone joined the Cal Berkeley football coaching staff in 1982, returning to Southern California one year later to take the position of offensive coordinator at Santa Ana College for two years before being named head football coach at El Camino College in 1985, replacing NFL assistant Jack Reilly.
During his tenure, more hundreds of players have earned scholarships to major universities. Featherstone has also led more than three dozen alumni into the professional ranks including: Keith Ellison, LB, Buffalo Bills; Ryan Riddle, DE, New York Jets; Chris Solomona, DE, Miami Dolphins; DeLawrence Grant, DE, Oakland Raiders; Devin Pitts, WR, Houston Texans; Jose Hanson, a DB in his second year with the Philadelphia Eagles; Antonio Chatman, a wide receiver now with the Cincinnati Bengals; Derrick Deese, an offensive guard with 14 years of NFL experience, formerly with the san Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Kevin Lovell, a PK in his rookie season with the St. Louis Rams, and Steve Sarkisian, currently Assistant Head Coach for Pete Carroll’s USC Trojans.
Away from football, John Featherstone’s greatest success in life is his four daughters –Terre, Ivy, Keegan, and Arianna – grandson Gabriel and his wife, Hope. | 
