New face and focus for Judge Memorial football

Courtesy photo/JMCHS

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Jeff Kaufusi, the new head football coach at Judge Memorial Catholic High School, is shown during a game last year.

Derek P. Jensen

SALT LAKE CITY — Commanding attention at a towering six-foot-seven, Jeff Kaufusi sidesteps brute force to instead deliver a cerebral if steadfast approach – and his new football team at Judge Memorial Catholic High School is taking notice.

“We’ve got to win the academic side, win the weight room,” Kaufusi said. “It’s really just changing the mindset and culture of our students here at Judge.”

The first-year head football coach at Judge Memorial is no stranger to the football community. Hailing from the lauded Kaufusi football family, Kaufusi finished his college playing days with the Utah Utes before building an impressive coaching and conditioning resume. A staple at Polynesian football camps across Utah, he has also burnished his reputation as a trusted leader in that community.

Now, the former Alta High School football coach faces a stiff challenge: restoring Judge football to respectability – and its historical stature as a championship program.

“It’s a hard task, it’s a big task,” he says. “Judge can get back on top, like they used to be that powerhouse. That’s our goal.”

That goal will start with the youth, said Kaufusi, who remembers the opportunities afforded his brothers, who traveled across town to play youth football for Judge.

“It was an opportunity for us living on the west side to meet other kids in the community,” he said. “I want to bring that back.”

The new Judge coach has made some strides with a seven-on-seven youth passing league as well as partnerships in the Catholic Youth Organization, or CYO.

Most noticeably, his presence has also persuaded a dozen Polynesian students to transfer to Judge, including at least six starters. More are likely to follow. In this way, Kaufusi has helped further diversify both the hallways and field between the hash marks.

“I love it,” he said with a smile. “I love that the theme for Judge is ‘building a more just society.’ Part of that is bringing these different cultural backgrounds to the school.”

Judge Athletic Director James Cordova, who coached the school’s last championship team just over a decade ago, says he’s thrilled to have a head coach connected to the Polynesian community as well as the University of Utah.

“It’s nice to bring someone in from the outside and get a fresh perspective,” Cordova said. “With Jeff’s experience at bigger schools, all the stuff he’s done at the Poly camps, it’s just nice to have that new perspective.”

Kaufusi brings with him a stable of assistant coaches who have either coached elsewhere or were former players that Kaufusi himself coached. They too have brought renewed energy, discipline and interest.

A number of football players joined the team mid-season, and by the end more than a dozen were named to the Deseret News All-State teams. In addition, senior Ben Butler notched an Academic All-State honor.

Before focusing on the playbook, Kaufusi makes sure his players are first studying their textbooks. That includes the transfer students, who may face a steeper learning curve from Judge’s academic rigor.

“I can’t stress that hard enough to our athletes, even our transfers coming in,” he says. “It makes them think bigger about their future.”

A self-described “one-on-one guy” who also teaches in the weight room as part of Judge’s physical education faculty, Kaufusi takes time to meet students all across campus. He stresses believing in the team’s vision and system, ignoring social media, setting goals and building their faith.

“I want them to know faith is right next to them as they walk through all the trials and tribulations in life,” he said.

Derek P. Jensen is director of communications for Judge Memorial Catholic High School.