A coach loved by all is honored for 40 years

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

Coach Jim Yerkovich's number 25 is retired at Judge Memorial. Jim Hamburge, principal, pointed out the 2006 championship game score was 40-29 in Yerkovich's 40th year as a coach on Feb. 25. IC photo by Chris Young

SALT LAKE CITY — "You call him things like coach, dad, colleague, and teacher," said Jim Hamburge, principal of Judge Memorial Catholic High School. "He is the reason I came to Judge, and the reason I have ‘we’ on all of my clothes."

The Judge team motto is, "The best potential of me is we."

The Judge Memorial Catholic High School community, family, and friends honored Vice Principal Jim Yerkovich for his 40 years of coaching boys basketball March 11, at the Downtown Marriott Hotel. The evening was filled with love, laughter, and praise for Yerkovich, who was named Coach of the Year in 1985.

Yerkovich and his 2006 basketball team were congratulated for defeating Tooele High School 40-29 to become the 3A State Champions Feb. 25 at Weber State University. Their winning formula was defense, which brought them a record of 24 wins and one loss.

Hamburge thanked everyone for coming to honor such a special man, and announced after the new field is built, they will build the Yerkovich Athletic Center.

Hamburge said in 1991 he took a plane to Washington for the first Congress for Secondary Catholic Education. He was the representative from Minnesota and Yerkovich was the representative from Utah. He had a nine-hour delay, and when he walked into the congress, the only chair left was next to Yerkovich.

"That was one of the luckiest days of my life," said Hamburge. "From that point on, we became friends. I came to Utah on Yerkovich’s claim that Judge is just so incredibly special. He was right, and he is one of the reasons why."

Coach Y, as he is affectionately known, was honored to have 350 guests attend the dinner of which, more than 80 were former Judge players, four were coaches who coached against Yerkovich’s teams, and five were the starting players from the 1960 Judge team on which Yerkovich played.

Judge Memorial Assistant Coach Marty Giovacchini (1973), gave the history of players from 1966 to 2006, and their accomplishments. Yerkovich’s first State Championship Title was in 1980.

Giovacchini reiterated the fact there would have been more championship trophies if it were not for some highly questionable officiating. The Bulldogs lost the final championship games in 1970, 1973, 1985, 1989, and 2003.

"All the players found it a true pleasure playing for Coach Yerkovich, and everyone is a major part of this program," said Giovacchini. "In all the years I played for Coach Yerkovich or helped him, I have never heard him belittle or berate a player. He has always treated every player as a valuable human being with the dignity and respect they deserve, while still being able to make a point."

Giovacchini said at the beginning of this year, Yerkovich was not sure if he was going to be able to coach as a result of recent bypass surgery, a problem with his hand, and a knee replacement, and they came out and won the state tournament. Now Yerkovich thinks he may be able to coach another four or five years.

Judge Memorial Athletic Director and Assistant Coach Dan Del Porto (1985), credits Yerkovich for the professional direction he took in his life, and says he owes him a lot personally. Del Porto said Coach Y’s record speaks for itself. He has had 552 wins, 12 regional championships, five state runner-ups, two state championships, 17 appearances in the Final Four, and 11 invitations to the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament (ACIT) Tournament.

"When Coach Y first started, he just wanted to be able to scrimmage and stay close to teams such as Highland and Olympus High Schools," said Del Porto. "Now we will play DeMatha High School in the ACIT Tournament March 16. They are the fourth-ranked high school team in the country."

Long-time friend, former Judge teammate (1961), and former Judge assistant coach for 20 years Phil Purcell said he and Yerkovich became best friends when Yerkovich started going to Judge in his sophomore year after moving from Rock Springs, Wyo. He said Yerkovich was a great shooter, and led the state in scoring.

Purcell recalled one day in high school asking Yerkovich what he was going to do when he grew up.

"Yerkovich answered, ‘I am going to play college basketball, major in math, and when I am done, I am going to go back to Judge Memorial and I am going to teach math and coach basketball,’" said Purcell. "That is what the man has done, and he did it in a way that makes all of us who know him unbelievably proud.

"The loyalty he has shown to the boys he has coached, the school he coached for, his own children, his family, his friends, and most importantly his beliefs, which he has shared with many of us," said Purcell.

Neil Yerkovich, Coach Yerkovich’s brother, played on the first basketball team Yerkovich coached for Judge in 1966 through 1969.

Coach Yerkovich said his brother has been his biggest fan across the miles, and has shared all that has happened with Judge basketball including the championship, along with all the former Judge players.

Former teammates, players and opposing coaches remember Yerkovich for his sportsmanship, his circle of love and friendship, insight for his players, a lot of good laughs, teaching them values, enhancing the growth of the players both educationally and athletically, and credit him for 37 of them becoming teachers and coaches.

Yerkovich’s two daughters Noel Ladner (1985) and Mary Chris Ledbetter (1988) said they are proud to say Coach Yerkovich is their dad. They had the unique privilege of being born into the Judge community.

Ledbetter said after basically living and breathing Judge for her entire young life, she never thought she would return as a guidance counselor and basketball coach. What she appreciates most about her father is that even though he could have critiqued her every move in basketball, he told her he would only help if she asked. When he did give her coaching advice, it was always positive.

Yerkovich received a standing ovation as he came to the stage.

"Needless to say, I am overwhelmed," said Yerkovich. "My talk is called overtime in the program, but this feels like a double overtime. This is more an expression of community than it is anything else. I have always felt, and I know many of you have felt, Judge is something special.

"The most important thing I did was stay in one place because it fosters so much community," said Yerkovich. "I would do it exactly the same way again professionally. We need community to be the best persons we can be. You need others to make you better. The Judge faculty is a bigger dimension of community than is the basketball program."

Yerkovich thanked the guests, his family, and especially his mother for the rosary she prayed during the double overtime in the playoffs.

"No coach could have a better associate than my wife Betty," said Yerkovich. "The most important thing she does is chant "defense, defense, defense" from the stands. Her love is the support I need in my life, the concept that makes it all possible, adds a special glow to the wins, and puts the losses into perspective."