SALT LAKE CITY — Just three days after Judge Memorial Catholic High School played for the 3A state championship title, longtime coaching icon James Yerkovich announced to his team he was retiring.
“I don’t have the energy I used to have to run the quality basketball program I would like,” said Yerkovich of his 44 years at Judge Memorial Catholic High School. “We still have that kind of program, thanks to two of the most loyal assistants any coach could have in Dan Del Porto and Marty Giovacchini.”
Yerkovich had 634 wins. His teams have participated in 38 state tournaments with three state championships and six runner-up finishes.
Yerkovich has had five operations over the past five years, including open-heart surgery and two knee replacements. The heart surgery left him with nerve problems in his right hand.
In addition to his long tenure as head basketball coach, for the past 20 years he has been the academic vice principal at Judge. He also taught A.P. calculus for 25 years.
“The past 44 years have been filled with great people, players and coaches who have built a strong Judge community,” said Yerkovich. “I’ve always felt that coaching is really at the high school level because that is where you can have so much impact on the lives of the players.”
In a blog on the Deseret News site, former Real Salt Lake soccer player Adam Acosta, who was a student of Yerkovich’s, said he grew up dreaming of playing for Yerkovich. “As a kid I idolized his teams, players, philosophy and him. Then I was fortunate enough to play under him for three years, and I can honestly say there has never been a more influential coach or man,” said Acosta.
Yerkovich asked Acosta to be an assistant coach for the varsity and junior varsity basketball teams. Acosta also coaches the sophomore basketball team and the soccer team.
“I will never forget the words he said to me as a player, ‘You are always going to make mistakes on and off the court, but ask yourself if you are a better man.’ In this day and age, not many coaches encourage that,” said Acosta. “He did and I thank him.”
“He is a remarkable person,” said Dan Quinn, Judge Memorial director of athletics. “Coach Yerkovich has done some amazing things over the five decades he has been here, both in the NCAA by putting Judge Memorial on the map and I can’t tell you how many kids he has gotten into college because of athletics and/or academics. We are going to miss him. He will be a legendary coach. Since he announced his retirement, the phone has not stopped ringing with well-wishers.”
Yerkovich is a 1961 Judge Memorial graduate. He knew in high school he would go on to play college basketball, major in math, and return to Judge to teach math and coach basketball.
“I feel very blessed,” said Yerkovich. “The highlights of my career include participating 13 times in the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament (ACIT) in Cumberland, Md. We won three Consolation Championships, and in 1990, defeated two nationally ranked Washington, D.C. teams to make it to the championship game and become the runner-up. Winning was never our main goal because we played against the best teams in the nation. It was more to give the team the experience. We will participate in the 50th ACIT from March 18-20.”
The other highlight was writing “We: A Model for Coaching and Christian Living,” with Jesuit Father Patrick Kelly, he said. “You try to teach the kids to be the best athlete they can be, but at the same time teach them life skills.”
In his retirement, Yerkovich plans to travel as much as he can with his wife, Betty, and spend time with his family.
