Coach Budge touched lives — mine included

The stunning news hit me like a blitzing linebacker who blindsides an unsuspecting quarterback.

Thom Budge, the longtime Bonneville High football coach who was one of the most respected and beloved people in the history of Utah high school sports, died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack at his home. He was 65 years old.

That shocking, tragic announcement nearly knocked me to my knees and brought tears to my eyes.

You see, in the newspaper business, it's easy for sportswriters to become somewhat jaded, callous and cynical. Egotistical athletes continually come and go; fans often whine about poor coverage or a perceived lack of respect, and we generally have to keep our distance from the coaches we deal with because there's a good chance that, from time to time, we're going to have to write brutally honest stories about how poorly their teams played, and maybe even second-guess some of their coaching decisions.

But for me, Thom Budge became much more than just another high school coach. Like so many of his players over the years, I'm proud and grateful to say that he became my friend, too. He was a role model, a positive influence, a confidante, a teacher, a mentor, a genuine, down-to-earth guy who always did things the right way and for the right reasons.

He was the epitome of class, calm and consistency, an old-school coach who taught his teams to "Pay the Price" with discipline, tenacity, hard work and teamwork. He didn't need to use profanity and didn't have to raise his voice to get his point across.

Budge guided the Lakers' football fortunes for 31 years before retiring in 2006. His coaching record was mighty impressive: 237 wins, which Coach Budge, the ol' math teacher, would tell you averages out to almost eight wins per season. He's the second-winningest high school football coach in state history, and he also ranks second in career games coached. His teams won 14 region titles, almost one every other year that he coached. His 1980 team won the 4A state championship, and his teams reached the state finals four other times.

But as incredible as his coaching credentials were, they don't begin to measure the man or the person that Thom Budge was. He taught his students, both on and off the field, so many valuable life lessons that have served them and will continue to serve them throughout their lives.