Oceana AD coaches against own school

Johnston cited wanting to spend more time with his 9-year-old son as the reason he stepped away from the Oceana basketball team. In the months following his resignation, however, the job of head boys’ basketball coach job opened up at neighboring Terra Nova. After talking it over with his son, Johnston threw his hat into the ring at Terra Nova.

“He gave permisson and I went and applied ... and I was lucky enough to get the job,” Johnston said.

Johnston approached Monday’s “return” to Oceana in judicious fashion. While Terra Nova’s first-year head coach was still on the sideline, he handed over game operations to assistant coach Mike Valdez. However, the Tigers’ 81-44 victory still technically goes on Johnston’s career record.

“I didn’t even coach the game,” Johnston said. “I sat down and let my assistant coach coach it.”

With the lopsided win, Terra Nova has now defeated Oceana 36 straight times in head-to-head play. The last time the Sharks beat their larger crosstown counterpart was in 2004-05 with head coach Vince Pavia at the helm.

However, Johnston, in his first full season at Oceana, was on the verge of breaking the streak. When the final regulation buzzer sounded in a Jan. 28, 2022 matchup, Oceana was leading by 1 on the scoreboard, and with eight seconds on the clock Terra Nova missed a shot, with Oceana guard Julian Harris grabbing the rebound.

As the final seconds wound down, Oceana fans stormed the court in celebration. But as the regulation buzzer sounded, a referee’s whistle resounded through Terra Nova-Oceana history, assessing a technical foul on Oceana. Terra Nova’s Dominic Tuiasosopo went on to sink 1 of 2 free throws, and Terra Nova would ultimately win it 52-51 in overtime.

“To that day, that was my worst loss,” Johnston said. “I still have nightmares about that one.”

Johnston has overseen some big changes as Oceana’s AD, the biggest of which will be implemented in the 2026-27 school year. When the Sharks take the court Friday night at South City for their Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division opener, it will mark the beginning of Oceana’s final season in the PAL.

Next year, a majority of Oceana’s athletics teams will move to the small-school Private School Athletic League. Only the school’s tennis, wrestling and swimming teams will remain in the PAL. Johnston cited Oceana being the smallest school in the PAL as the reason, with less than 500 students enrolled at the Pacifica public school campus. Comparatively, there are approximately 700 students enrolled at neighboring Terra Nova.

“I think it will be good for Oceana, I really do,” he said.

The idea of Oceana moving to the PSAL was floated long before Johnston arrived on campus.

A native of Atlanta, Johnston previously coached at St. Pius X Catholic High School and Marist School in his hometown, as well as serving as AD at Christ the King School, a K-8 private school, from 1995-2006. After meeting his wife Jennifer Tam-Johnston, a San Mateo native, he relocated to the Bay Area.

When Johnston learned Oceana had previously been approached about joining the PSAL, he pursued a league change nearly immediately. The change was officially filed last year with a two-year waiting period, with Oceana joining the basketball ranks of Daly City-based charter school Summit Shasta, San Mateo-based private school Nueva School, Redwood City charter school Design Tech, along with several South Bay schools.

“I think it will do a better job because what I want to do is increase sports part in the school, but not make it as life and death,” Johnston said.