Jesuit’s Ken Potter calls it a career after 38 years
Published 6:32 pm Tuesday, November 18, 2025
The longtime Crusaders head coach retires as the state’s winningest coach
The state’s winningest high school football coach has called it a career.
Jesuit High School announced the retirement of Ken Potter from both his roles as head varsity football coach and counselor at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
Potter is Oregon’s all-time leader in wins, amassing a 369-92 overall record, four state titles, and 25 league championships in his 38 seasons as the school’s head coach.
This past season, the Crusaders went 8-2 in the regular season and claimed a Metro League title before falling to West Linn in the state quarterfinals.
“He is the best coach I have played for,” Jesuit senior receiver and linebacker Jack Tuenge said, “but more than that, he pushes me to be a better person off the field and shows that he cares for me every day.”
Potter was named the Jesuit head football coach in 1987 and proceeded to go undefeated in his inaugural season.
In his career, the decorated Crusaders coach was honored as the Metro League, State and National Coach of the Year (West Region).
More significant than wins and losses, Potter’s legacy can be measured by the generations of students he helped shape into people of conscience, competence and character. His life lessons extend beyond the football field and resonate long after students graduate.
“Coach Potter is undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches in Oregon state history,” 2007 Jesuit graduate Dr. Owen Marecic, a fullback and linebacker who went on to play football at Stanford University and in the NFL said. “Like so many others, I am proud and honored to say that he was my coach. He taught me invaluable lessons about teamwork, discipline, work ethic, selflessness, and faith that continue to inspire me to this day. He leaves a legacy of excellence that is difficult to match and should be celebrated to the fullest.”
Marecic wasn’t Potter’s only success story between the lines, with the longtime coach mentoring notable players such as Slade Norris, Henry Mondeaux, Mike Remmers and receiver Mike Hass, who went on to win college football’s Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s outstanding receiver.
He also coached former University of Oregon standout and present-day Mountainside head football coach Keanon Lowe.
In addition to his endeavor to win football games, Potter was equally interested in building a winning culture on a foundation of family, both among his players and coaching staff. The Jesuit community was proud of that and is grateful for his tenure at the school.
“The Jesuit family is profoundly grateful for Ken’s service, leadership, and commitment to our mission over the last 38 years,” said Jesuit High School President Thomas Arndorfer. “We wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement.”