FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Former Central High football coach Justin Garza died on Monday night after a long battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Garza was the head football coach at Central from 2012-2015 – leading the Grizzlies to the Valley Championship game in 2012 and a TRAC title in 2013. He stepped down in 2015 to focus on his battle with leukemia.
Central Unified Superintendent Mark Sutton says Garza left a lasting impression on his former football players. “He taught them more than just about football,” said Sutton. “He taught them about life. He taught them about what it means to be a good person and just interacted with his kids with a lot of trust, a lot of loyalty, a lot of respect.”
Garza was known for keeping a positive attitude in his fight. The community responded in kind by coming out to blood marrow donor drives to try and help him in that fight. Sutton says whenever Garza felt up to it, he would visit the campus and football practices. “As soon as word got out on campus that Coach Garza was on campus or out on the football field, people would flock to go out and see him and check on him and say hello,” said Sutton.
Garza also coached football at Reedly and Sunnyside High Schools. He leaves behind a wife and two children. Garza was 41 years old.
(Photo: Central Athletics)
