Former Ontario High School students Noemi Arellano and Juan Gutierrez place a bouquet of flowers on a makeshift memorial on the schools 50-yard line prior to a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
A picture of late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika hangs on a fence at a makeshift memorial at the Ontario school prior to a celebration of life for “Coach K” on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
ONTARIO — As a larger than life 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, Ontario High head football coach John Kusleika seemed like he could overcome anything.
Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Shortly after beginning chemotherapy treatment for stage 4 cancer, Kusleika died Saturday, March 9. He was 55. He leaves behind a wife and three children.
“He had been at school up until the first chemo treatments 2 ½ weeks ago,” Joe Szczepanski, Ontario’s athletic director and assistant football coach, said Monday. “He was in great spirits, talking about finishing chemo and coming back to coach.”
Current and former Ontario High School football players place candles on the 50-yard line at a makeshift memorial following a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
A photo of late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika lays on the schools 50-yard line prior to a celebration of life for “Coach K” at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
People stand at a makeshift memorial for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika outside the Ontario school prior to a celebration of life for “Coach K” on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ontario High School staff, students, along with current and former football players listen to a speaker during a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Former Ontario High School football players listen to a speaker during a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ontario High School teacher Donna Enriquez, right, signs a personal message on a football held by recent Ontario graduate Ernesto Navarro for the family of late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika following a celebration of life for “Coach K” at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
An Ontario High School student places candles on the 50-yard line at a makeshift memorial in the schools stadium in remembrance of late Ontario High School football coach prior to a celebration of life for “Coach K” at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Signs of remembrance hang on the stadium fence prior to a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
A picture of late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika hangs on a fence at a makeshift memorial at the Ontario school prior to a celebration of life for “Coach K” on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Signs of remembrance hang on the stadium fence, as people head to their seats, prior to a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Alta Loma High School coach Jeff Kettle tries to keep his composure as he speaks about his late friend and Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika during a celebration of life memorial at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Former and current Ontario High School football players pay their respects for “Coach K” at a makeshift memorial on the 50-yard line in the schools stadium prior to a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Signs of remembrance hang on the stadium fence prior to a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ontario High School students take a moment for themselves to remember late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at a makeshift memorial on the 50-yard line in the schools stadium prior to a celebration of life for at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
A family applauds a speaker during a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Candles burn in the shape of a “K” at a makeshift memorial for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika outside the Ontario school following a celebration of life for “Coach K” on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Former Ontario High School quarterback Adrian Ochoa reflects on his late coach at a makeshift memorial on the 50-yard line in the schools stadium prior to a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Former Ontario High School students Noemi Arellano and Juan Gutierrez place a bouquet of flowers on a makeshift memorial on the schools 50-yard line prior to a celebration of life for late Ontario High School football coach John Kusleika at the Ontario school on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Kusleika, 55, who was head coach at Ontario for the past 10 years, died Saturday after battling cancer. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ontario held a celebration of life at the football field for Kusleika on Tuesday evening where his former players, colleagues and family members placed mementos, balloons and battery-operated candles on the 50-yard line and several people spoke about him.
“Coach K was an amazing guy,” said Adrian Ochoa, who played quarterback for Kusleika before graduating in 2020 and later served as a quarterbacks coach. “It was way more than a coach-and-athlete relationship. I viewed him as another father figure in my life. He really helped you develop right from wrong, to be caring, respectful and loving.”
Kusleika graduated from Redlands High in 1986, then went on to play tight end at the University of La Verne.
It was there that he met Chris Kimberly.
“He made it easy (to become friends), he was approachable,” Kimberly said. “He could get people in a group and make it work.”
John Kusleika had been the football coach at Ontario High School since 2014. (Courtesy of Gil Zendejas)
Kusleika was hired by the Chaffey Joint Union High School District as a teacher and head football coach at Montclair in 1999, beginning a 25-year run as a teacher in the district. The district orientation meeting is where he met Szczepanski, who was hired as a teacher at the same time.
Szczepanski told Kusleika he had some coaching experience. The next day, Kusleika called him and asked if he wanted to be part of his coaching staff.
Kimberly came to Montclair the next year, thanks to Kusleika.
“Things didn’t work out (at a previous coaching stop), and he was the first phone call I made,” said Kimberly, who currently coaches at Etiwanda. “I have him to thank (for being in the district). It’s ‘let’s see if I can get you here.’ He’s done that for several people.”
After three years at Montclair. Kusleika left to take another head coaching job in the district at Alta Loma. The first year at Alta Loma he coached Eric Weddle, who went on to a 14-year NFL career in which he was named to the Pro Bowl six times and to the All-Pro Team twice.
At Alta Loma Kusleika had a profound impact on many athletes, including Greg Keele who played linebacker there before graduating in 2006.
“He was an avid student of the game, a careful and thoughtful game planner and one of the best organizers of a football program I have met to date,” Keele said on a podcast he recorded after learning of Kusleika’s passing. “Thank you coach for helping me become a man.”
Keele had many crises he went through in his personal life and Kusleika was there to help him through them.
“He was a big teddy bear. He knew he was naturally a (physically) dominant person. Nobody could question that,” said Keele, who later coached under Kusleika and who is currently an assistant coach at Vista Murrieta. “You get the impression he was a big tough guy. The truth was he was an academic. Conversations I had with him were something I would get from a Harvard geek. We would hang out on Sundays and talk coaching philosophies. He loved to learn.”
John Kusleika leads one of his Ontario High School football teams onto the field. Kusleika, 55, died March 9 after being diagnosed with cancer. (Courtesy of Gil Zendejas)
Kusleika eventually resigned at Alta Loma and served as an assistant coach at Redlands East Valley and Rancho Cucamonga for a few years before taking the Ontario job in 2014.
He did not have a lot of on-field success at Ontario, making the playoffs only once in 10 years, but he was credited for constantly adjusting his offensive and defensive schemes to adjust for the strengths of his players.
“The great thing about John was he was going to give 100 percent, whether it was an 0-10 or a 10–0 team,” Szczepanski said. “Obviously going against better talent, it could turn south. We’re going to fight our fight. You can’t say enough about the commitment.”
At the end of the celebration Tuesday, the scoreboard clock counted down from 10 minutes, signifying the 10 seasons he coached at Ontario. The 10 seasons tied him for the longest football coaching tenure at the school.
“Success comes about in different ways in different places,” Szczepanski said. “He had a passion about the school. He was a well-loved man on campus.”
