St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds Dies After Battle With Cancer

St. Francis High School Football Coach Jim Bonds died on Wednesday morning at UCLA Medical Center from complications of multiple myeloma. He was 51.

Bonds is survived by his wife Tricia, son James and daughter Katie.

Bonds began his coaching career at St. Francis as an assistant under Bill Redell in 1992. In 1997, he became head coach at Mission Hills Alemany, then returned to St. Francis three years later.

In his 20 seasons as head coach of the Golden Knights, Bonds amassed a record of 160-76. His teams won two league championships and had 19 playoff appearances, which included five semi-final appearances and a CIF runner-up title in Division 3 in 2017.

Bonds was also a standout quarterback at Hart High School, where he won a CIF title and all-CIF honors. He went on to play football and baseball at UCLA.

But perhaps his greatest asset, according to the Rev. Tony Marti, president of St. Francis High, was “the way he completely embraced and lived the school’s philosophy and instilled values in his teams.”

His nephew and former St. Francis quarterback Michael Bonds once called him “an offensive genius.”.

“Coach Bonds will be remembered as a friend, colleague, teacher, mentor, and beloved head football coach by those who were blessed by his influence,” said Andy Burghdorf, chief operating officer at the La Cañada Flintridge Catholic high school.

“Perhaps his greatest strength was his ability to develop his students and football players into great men,” said Burghdorf.

“His legacy lives on in the countless number of lives that he transformed through and beyond the game of football. He did so by living and instilling the Franciscan virtues that are so essential to St. Francis’ approach to education. Regardless of wins or losses, the Golden Knights who played for him knew that sportsmanship and character mattered most of all. He encouraged his student-athletes to support each other and put the team above their personal ambitions,” said Burghdorf.