The De La Salle football team encountered an unexpected loss on Thursday when its defensive line coach, Steve Jacoby, died suddenly at the age of 61. The reason of death was not immediately discovered, which shocked the De La Salle community.
Steve Jacoby cause of death, obituary
The coaching staff gathered on Thursday to grapple with the news and decided to break it to the team on Friday morning. They left the decision of whether to proceed with Friday night’s home game against El Cerrito up to the players.
In the spirit of honoring their beloved defensive line coach, the players made the courageous choice to play the game, knowing that it’s what Jacoby would have wanted.
Head coach Justin Alumbaugh expressed, “He would want to kill me if I didn’t let the kids play. We wanted to provide the opportunity for them to play but also be understanding with what’s going on. It’s going to be sad and hard. But they’re young men. They’re capable of making decisions, too.”
Alumbaugh also shared how the team had a heartfelt discussion and grieved together over the loss of their coach. Afterward, senior captain Drew Cunningham informed the coach that the team had decided to go ahead with the game.
Steve Jacoby had been coaching at De La Salle since 2006, and his presence was known for his warm and caring nature. Coach Alumbaugh recalled a memorable moment from earlier in the week when the team sang “Happy Birthday” to Jacoby, a memory that will forever remain in their hearts.
On the evening of the game, the De La Salle community planned to hold a moment of silence in honor of Jacoby, who is survived by his two daughters.
Coach Alumbaugh acknowledged the emotional challenge of the game, describing it as the hardest he has ever coached. Jacoby’s sudden passing is a profound loss to the De La Salle football family, and his impact on the team will never be forgotten.
