Legendary Katy Tigers head coach Mike Johnston, who won 13 district titles and made five state championship appearances over a 22-year run with the school, passed away on Saturday morning. He had to live for one more Friday night. 

Katy is on the Mount Rushmore of TXHSFB brands, a logo that represents discipline, excellence and consistency. The Tigers' 15 state championship appearances are tied for the most in the state's history, and their last losing season was 1990. But none of it happens without Johnston, who took over as head coach in 1982 and broke the school's 23-year playoff drought in 1986. 

Johnston may have retired after winning his third state championship in 2003, but his persona still looms large in Katy, Texas. The city's 11 varsity football programs all play games at Mike Johnston Field at Legacy Stadium. That pristine facility shares a parking lot with Rhodes Stadium, where Johnston built the Katy Tigers into the dynasty they are today. When current Katy head coach Gary Joseph was featured on the gatefold cover of the 2023 Dave Campbell's TexasFootball magazine, he said the running joke within the program was that players from 40 years ago could still call the plays.

Katy is not just a consistent winner, but also has a consistent attidue. Every year, the Tigers roll out a team with the same offense, the same uniform and the same coach who's been there since 1982. This program has never veered from the blueprint Johnston laid out over 40 years ago. 

In that way, he lives on in the red and white.