St. Francis High School to Dedicate Stadium to Coach Jim Bonds Following Death Last Month

St. Francis High School in La Cañada Flintridge is planning to rename it’s athletic stadium in honor of popular longtime football coach Jim Bonds, who died following a battle with cancer late last month, the school announced Friday.

Bonds died Oct. 28 from complications of multiple myeloma, according to St. Francis. He was 51.

“Coach Bonds, who returned to the Lord far too soon, left a lasting mark on the mind and heart of each person with whom he came into contact,” according to St. Francis High School Chief Operating Officer Andy Burghdorf.

“During his 20 years as our head football coach, his accomplishments in the stadium were only eclipsed by the way in which he molded the young men entrusted to his care,” burghdorf said in a written statement. “What he taught all of us transcends the sport. Coach Bonds will be remembered for always doing it the right way — with courage, class, honor, humility, and the will to never give up.”

School officials planned to launch a fundraising campaign to update and rename the stadium. The funds will be used for “important updates” to the stadium, allowing the facility to “continue offering a second-to-none experience for all visitors to campus — something that Jim certainly did week in and week out” Burghdorf said.

“Coach, you are forever in our hearts and we are thrilled to commemorate your legacy by naming our stadium in your honor!” he said.

Bonds first joined St. Francis High School as an assistant coach in 1992. He took a position as head coach at Mission Hills Alemany in 1997, but returned to St. Francis as head coach three years later, the school said.

During his two decades as head coach, Bonds led the team to a record of 160-76, securing two league championships and 19 playoff appearances, including five in semi-finals.

Before he was a coach, Bonds played for Hart High School, winning a CIF title and all-CIF honors. He then played both football and baseball at UCLA.

The field at the stadium will continue to bear the name of Coach Jack Friedman, whose accomplishments included leading the Golden Knights to back-to-back CIF championships in 1964 and 1965, according to St. Francis.

“His legacy remains because of the coach that he was both on and off the field,” Burghdorf said. “Throughout the decades, his players continue to remain connected to St. Francis High School because of Coach Friedman’s influence on their lives. His impact has withstood the test of time, and we remain committed to honoring him each time our Golden Knights compete on our beloved Friedman Field.”

See also:

St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds Dies After Battle With Cancer