Pease, a 1964 Utah graduate, served as Utes Assistant on three separate terms, including Defense Coordinator in 2015
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) John Pease, the Utes Defense Line trainer, gives instructions during practice, Monday August 16, 2010.
John Pease, a former University of Utah running back and linebacker from 1963 to 64 who later became an extremely popular assistant coach in three stints with the Utes, died Monday. The native Pittsburgh was 77 years old.
“John Pease was one of my all time favorite people,” longtime Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement. “He was my friend. It was an honor to work with, learn from and know him. He has influenced the lives of countless people and is missed by everyone. The Utah soccer family has lost a great player and we are sending his Ms. Chris and his loved ones all our love and condolences.
Four years after his college career ended with the Utes in 1964, Pease returned to Salt Lake City as a research assistant from 1968-69. He later served as Utah Linebackers Trainer (1977), Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Line Coach (2009-10), and Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach (2015).
In between, Pease was the University of Washington’s Defensive Line Coach (1978-82), then NFL assistant coach between the New Orleans Saints and the Jacksonville Jaguars for 19 years.
“Football is the best team game in the world because the goal is to hit someone with every stroke,” said Pease in autumn 2015. “There is no other team game where the goal is to hit the one in front of you. I enjoy it. Soccer players are always moving towards something. You are not passive. You are not afraid. You are emotional. It’s an emotional game and emotional children play it. I love that.”
During his retirement in 2008, Pease attended coaching meetings and served as an advisor to the Utes, which finished 13-0 and beat Alabama to the Sugar Bowl. As a result, Whittingham Pease pulled out of retirement to train his line of defense. Pease was the team’s defensive line coach from 2009-10, helping the Utes play 10-3 seasons in a row.
After the 2010 campaign, he retired again due to some minor health problems, and then retired again in 2015 to serve as Whittingham’s defensive coordinator.
Utah’s 2015 team finished the game 10-3 and won a share of the Pac-12 South for the first time while becoming number 2 in the league in overall defense and number 1 in rush defense at 108.6 yards per game . That number was good enough to rank the Utes number 6 nationwide.
Pease’s final retirement followed the 2015 season, paving the way for Morgan Scalley to assume the position of defensive coordinator.
“John Pease was such a valued member of our Utah Athletics family that he had a special presence on our football program even after he retired,” said Mark Harlan, Utah director of sport. “We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Coach Pease at this very difficult time.”
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