Juan Diego Catholic High School’s founding vice principal and decorated head coach John Colosimo has passed away, the school announced in a press release on Wednesday.
Colosimo retired in 2020 after a storied 19-year coaching career. He also served over 23 years as the Soaring Eagles’ vice principal and played a pivotal role in the establishment of Juan Diego in 1999.
He also coached at Judge Memorial from 1985 to 1996.
“With profound sadness, Juan Diego Catholic High School announces the passing of Coach John Colosimo, the founding Vice Principal and Head Football Coach from 1999 to 2020,” the school’s announcement said. “A visionary educator and a revered coach, John was a foundational figure in shaping the identity and success of Juan Diego and the greater Catholic community in Utah.”
Colosimo’s name will stay etched in the UHSAA record book for years to come. After taking over the football program in 2002, Colosimo lead his team to 10 championship appearances and won eight state championships. In that time, the Soaring Eagles recorded two separate three-peats with consecutive titles between 2008-2010 and 2015-2017.
Colosimo’s eight state championships ties Skyline’s Roger DuPaix and Beaver’s Al Marshall for most state titles in state history.
“He was an educator first and he was a teacher first,” said current Juan Diego head football coach and athletic director Danny Larson. “He walked the halls of this school and he just demanded a presence and kids just flocked to him.”
Larson spent 12 years under Colosimo in the youth football programs and eventually joined Colosimo’s coaching staff in his final year in 2019-2020.
“Something special about Coach John, he was absolutely amazing in his uncanny ability to be strict and require discipline, but at the same time love them up,” Larson said. “His players would run through a wall for him. I know you hear that a lot, but there’s really nobody like him.”
“His ability to love a player while he’s chewing him out was like no other. He took young men and turned them into men.”
Juan Diego dominated its region under Colosimo with 17 total region championships, 12 of which were consecutive. While Colosimo was head coach, the Soaring Eagles held an 81% winning percentage with 188 wins and 46 losses.
In the fall of 2022, the school announced the renaming of its football field to John Colosimo Field at Soaring Eagle Stadium to honor Colosimo.
While he undoubtedly left a legacy on the field, many in the Juan Diego community argue his contributions off the field were just as great.
Current Juan Diego running back and strength coach Ryan Baker played under Colosimo from 2014-2017. Baker is just one of hundreds of athletes who were positively influenced by Colosimo.
“He challenged you to be as good as you can be be, as disciplined as you could be, but also he made you feel loved at the same time,” Baker said.
Baker is one of many Colosimo alumni who have returned to Juan Diego to help instill the same principles that Colosimo held dear.
“It was Coach John who made us want to give back to the program because he built it from scratch and made something special,” Baker continued. “We all wanted to get back to that program as he built it and try to bring it back to that former glory.”
Baker said Colosimo’s selflessness and charity with his time is what set him apart from most.
“He was just so incredibly selfless,” Baker said. “The life of a head coach is an especially demanding one. It takes away time from your family, from your kids, your life and all of the other things that are important. His self sacrifice in order to create something that has influenced so many people’s lives is truly incredible. That’s something many people won’t be able to say when their life is over.”
Colosimo leaves a legendary legacy in the Utah high school football landscape. He was inducted into the National High School Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
“He touched a lot of people,” Larson said. “I think high school sports fans across the state recognize how important that he was to high school football in Utah.”
