Utah football legend John Pease dies at 77

SALT LAKE CITY — John Pease has made his final dance down a football field.

The beloved former University of Utah football player and coach died Monday, according to multiple reports. He was 77.

Pease enjoyed a coaching career that spanned over five decades — a career that began and ended at Utah.

He played for the Utes from 1963-64 and was given the Most Inspirational Player award in Utah's 1964 Liberty Bowl victory that capped off a 9-2 season. Four years later, Pease returned to the school as a graduate assistant; and that was the beginning of a coaching career that took him all over the country.

Pease made stops at the University of Washington and the now-defunct United States Football League. He joined the New Orleans Saints coaching staff in 1986 and ended up coaching in the NFL for 19 seasons as an assistant, including a stop in Jacksonville as defensive coordinator.

In 2005, he retired — at least that was his initial plan.

Pease had a residence in Salt Lake City and was occasionally visited by Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. Pease remembered Whittingham as a linebacker playing with the USFL's Denver Gold and New Orleans Breakers, and the two enjoyed discussing the game. Those discussions eventually paved the way for him to return to the sport he loved, and also to his alma mater.

"John Pease was one of my favorite people, ever," Whittingham said in a statement. "He was my friend. It was an honor working with him, learning from him and knowing him. He impacted the lives of countless people and will be missed by all. The Utah football family lost a great one and we send all our love and condolences to his wife, Chris, and his loved ones."

Pease was a consultant to the Utes during the 2008 undefeated Sugar Bowl season and he even sat in on coaches meetings. In 2009, Whittingham officially pulled him out of retirement and hired him to the defensive staff. Pease was the team's defensive line coach from 2009-10 and helped the Utes to back-to-back 10-3 seasons. He retired again following the 2010 campaign due to a couple of minor health issues.

But Pease couldn't stay away from the game and kept in contact with Whittingham over the years. He was often around at practices. In 2015, Pease came out of retirement for the second time to be Utah's defensive coordinator; the team finished that season, once again, with a 10-3 record.

In his final game as a coach, his defense forced five turnovers, including two pick-sixes, in the Las Vegas Bowl win over BYU — a fitting end to a coach who urged his defenses to finish games with "four and a score" (four turnovers and a defensive touchdown).

He may have only ended up coaching Utah for a few years — he also was on the 1977 staff as a linebackers coach — but he made a lasting impact on players and coaches.

Former Utah defensive lineman Sealver Siliga, who would go on to win a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, once said Pease would "always be my favorite coach ever. He prepared me for the NFL, even though I didn't know I was preparing for it."

Siliga isn't alone in those thoughts. Pease was admired by just about everyone that was lucky enough to cross his path. It wasn't just his knowledge of the game, but how he taught it.

"He's full of emotion. He loves the game. Being around him, it's just contagious," former Ute defensive end Jason Fanaika said in 2015. "You want to love the game, too."

That love was easy to see. Pease was often spotted dancing and smiling down the football field during practices and even games, and his energy was infectious.

That was evident during his final season. The then 72-year-old football coach, who even then was arriving at the office around 5 a.m., was still enjoying everything about being on the sideline.

"Those that think that type of age doesn't bring a lot of energy and excitement, you don't know John Pease," current defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley said then. "That's what he's all about. He's great with the players and they love him."

Related topics