Sat.-Sun., February 4-5, 2023
Sunday brought us news that none of us wanted to hear . . .
Legendary Rio Mesa H.S. Head Coach
John Reardon with his son Barry
back in 1984
Our friend John Reardon passed away at home on Sunday morning.
The easy part of discussing John is his outstanding record as Rio Mesa's Head Football Coach from 1968-1993, 26 years of unparalleled excellence in Spartan football lore.
During his tenure at the helm, John's 1971 team won the C.I.F. "A" Championship with a stirring 28-20 win over the Paso Robles H.S. Bearcats. His 1983 squad had another great run in the playoffs before losing in the C.I.F. Desert-Mountain Conference Championship game to the Atascadero H.S. Greyhounds, 20-14.
More great C.I.F. playoff runs for John's Spartans happened in 1977, 1979 and 1982 when his clubs fought their way to the Semi-Finals.
All in all, J.R.'s Rio Mesa teams won ten league championships and went to the C.I.F. playoffs after 13 seasons.
When he retired after the 1993 season, he was Ventura County's all-time winningest high school football coach with 154 victories.
That is the easiest part of his greatness to measure. Now for the immeasurable part of his legacy.
He was proud of his Irish Catholic roots, of having grown up in Boston and of his service to our country as a United States Marine.
All of his life experiences turned him into a role model and a mentor to hundreds, if not thousands, of athletes, students, coaches and teachers.
While John has left us physically, the positive impact that he had in the lives of each and every one of us who knew this sometimes gruff, sometimes jovial but always caring man will continue to live on for many years to come.
As parents, Laurie and I could not have been happier or prouder than to have our two sons, Andrew and Michael, be Rio Mesa Spartans football players under Coach Reardon's leadership.
John Reardon
1934-2023
A GOOD LIFE LIVED
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