What's Happening in Cougar Country

Lake Catholic is saddened to announce the passing of its legendary coach and friend, John Gibbons. Coach Gibbons passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Saturday morning.

For generations of Lake Catholic students, families, and alumni, John Gibbons was more than a coach. He was a teacher, a mentor, and a steady presence who helped shape not only a football program, but a community.

For more than two decades connected to the Cougars football program, as a head coach, mentor, and later an assistant, Coach Gibbons helped define what Lake Catholic football stood for: preparation, toughness, joy in the work, and doing things the right way.

“Coach Gibbons defined what it meant to be a Cougar — not just through championships, but through the way he formed young men with discipline, joy, and purpose,” Lake Catholic President John Morabeto said. “His impact on our program, our school, and generations of families will endure far beyond the field.”

Coach Gibbons led the Lake Catholic football program from 1985 to 1998, a period that became the most successful era in the team’s history. During that time, his teams compiled a 113–42 record, captured eight North Coast League championships, and made seven playoff appearances. The pinnacle came in 1991 and 1992, when Lake Catholic won back-to-back Division III state championships, firmly establishing the Cougars as a statewide power.

But those who played for him or stood alongside him know that the wins, as meaningful as they were, never fully defined him.

Coach Gibbons brought an unmatched passion and energy to the game. He was meticulous in his preparation, drawing plays wherever he could, constantly searching for ways to put his players in the best position to succeed. His teams played hard, played aggressively, and played with discipline, but they also played with joy. Players would “run through a wall” for him - and smile while doing it.

Just as important was the culture he built. He believed deeply in developing the whole person, encouraging multi-sport athletes, demanding commitment, and surrounding his players with coaches who were teachers first. The lessons learned under Coach Gibbons extended far beyond Friday nights, shaping the lives of countless young men long after their playing days ended.

After successful head coaching stops elsewhere, Gibbons returned to Lake Catholic in 2011 as an assistant coach. In that role, he remained what he had always been - a constant presence, a mentor to coaches, and a connection to the program’s proudest traditions. His influence never faded; it simply evolved.

In 2010, Gibbons was inducted into the Lake Catholic Hall of Excellence and later became a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, a fitting recognition for the standard he established and the pride he brought to the program. In 2015, he was inducted into the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, an honor that reflected not just championships, but a lifetime of impact.

John Gibbons is survived by his wife, Patty, their nine children, sons- and daughters-in-law, and many grandchildren, all of whom were central to his life and shared in his deep commitment to faith, family, and football.

His legacy at Lake Catholic lives on not only in banners and record books, but on the sidelines today. His son, Marty (Lake Catholic Class of 2011), now serves as the Cougars’ head football coach. Another son, Tom (‘88), is an assistant coach within the program, while his son Mike (‘02) is the head coach at Medina Highland and was inducted into the Lake Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025. Together, they carry forward the values and traditions their father instilled.

That legacy will also be permanently honored on campus. At the school’s 42nd Annual Gala, President Morabeto announced that the school’s athletic turf and track will be renovated in a two-phase project, with the turf scheduled for completion this summer and the track to follow next year. Upon completion, the entire facility will be named The John Gibbons Outdoor Athletic Complex, ensuring that generations of Cougar student-athletes will compete in an area that bears the name of the coach who helped define an entire athletic program.

In the end, John Gibbons’ legacy cannot be measured solely in wins, championships, or honors. It lives on in the lives he shaped, the coaches he mentored, the family he raised, and the countless members of the Lake Catholic community who were better because they knew him.