A storied high school football program whose longtime head coach John Colosimo retired in 2020 after eight state championships in 21 seasons has a new legend at the helm: Ron James. The long-time coach in the collegiate and professional ranks, and who lives in Woods Cross, has brought his knowledge of the game to Juan Diego Catholic High School, being recently named just the program’s third coach since the school opened in 1999.

“We are very excited to have coach Ron James as our new head football coach as he brings a wealth of experience and familiarity to our program,” JDCHS athletic director Ted Bianco said. “We are certainly looking forward to him carrying on the great tradition of success in football at Juan Diego Catholic High School.”

James said he is thrilled to be coaching in Draper. “The school and these kids give you everything they have, and the parents are always there with amazing support,” he said. “It’s a pretty special environment here.”

James has been in coaching for nearly 30 years – 14 in college and 15 in the pros – and came to Juan Diego last fall as the Soaring Eagle squad’s defensive coordinator before taking the reins for the upcoming 2022 season.

“It’s so refreshing to work with high school athletes,” James said.. “You feel more like a sculptor who is molding clay into something wonderful. They’re raw, but that’s what makes this process fun. I’m having a blast! I think I had more fun this past season than I’ve had in years.”

James is familiar with the Catholic school system, having been educated beginning in kindergarten at Christian Brothers Academy in New York where he later starred on the high school football team. After being a two-time All-American offensive tackle – and four-year starter – at Siena College, he tried his hand in the professional ranks. He was signed by the New York Giants and got practice time with the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. 

In 1986, he realized that the “locker room had gotten into my blood,” so he returned to his alma mater and began a collegiate coaching career that would also stints at Kentucky Wesleyan College and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The Arena Football League came calling in 2005, so James headed up the Las Vegas Gladiators for two seasons before joining the Utah Blaze staff under Danny White. When White resigned in 2008, James was promoted to head coach, where he went 29-32 over the next five years until the team folded. He continued on at the Pittsburgh Power and Portland Steel for the next two seasons with each program folding after a year.

 In 2017, he led the Tampa Bay Storm to the ArenaBowl where they lost to the Philadelphia Soul 44-40. James was named AFL Coach of the Year for the second time – the first was in 2012 when he was with the Blaze. He concluded his AFL coaching journey as the inaugural head coach of the Atlantic City Blackjacks in 2019, having taking his team to the playoffs four times, and then was most recently with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football Team before moving back to Utah.

James now preaches accountability and discipline to his Juan Diego players. “We want them to be good football players, students and citizens so we take kind of a holistic approach,” he said, noting the emphasis in weight training within his program where he has already seen a “phenomenal increase in strength” within his players.

He has also zeroed in on the leadership among his older players. “You have to get your juniors and seniors to buy into what you’re trying to do and they set the example for the younger kids and help bring them along,” James said. “Mentorship is more important with this age group.” 

James isn’t the only one with extensive playing and coaching experience on the JDCHS staff. Among others, Ron McBride – the former head coach at the University of Utah and later Weber State – as well as former NFL player Caesar Rayford coach the defensive line. “We couldn’t have a better group working with our defense and they do it with such detail and integrity,” James said.

James lives in Woods Cross with his wife, who teaches fifth grade at Adelaide Elementary in Bountiful.