Jerry Jaso

Jerry Jaso C/O 1968: Most Memorable LBP Football Experience: "Winning the first football title since 1985".

Jerry Jaso proudly proclaims that LB Poly is “The Best High School” in America, and he has surely contributed to its greatness. Born on September 5, 1960, Jerry Jaso’s successes as a student athlete and later as a celebrated coach make him one of the most accomplished figures associated with Jackrabbit Football.

Jaso's career with Jackrabbits began in 1966 when he transferred to Poly from St. Anthony's High School, and while he's most known for his football greatness, Jerry was also a standout baseball player.As a member of the football and baseball teams for his 11th and 12th grade years, Jaso received repeated recognition for his stellar athletic performance. As a junior, he was named to the All League, All City Football Teams in 1967. In 1968, as a senior, Jaso was named to the All League, All City, and All CIF Baseball teams. After graduating from Poly in 1968, Jaso attended UCLA where he was a two year letterman. He received his Bachelor degree from UCLA in 1973 and Masters degree from USIU in 1993.

Jerry Jaso is arguably the most decorated coach in the History of LB Poly Football. Jaso joined the coaching staff at his alma mater in 1980 and in 1985 he took the arduous task of head coach. As head coach, Jaso led Poly to four CIF Championships and racked up quite an impressive list of honors for his distinguished coaching abilities. He was named Press-Telegram Dream Team Coach of the Year, LA Southeast High School Coach of Year (1985, 1995, 1997), and Century Club High School Coach of the Decade in 2000. From 1995-2000 he led Poly to four consecutive CIF Final appearances and boasted a coaching record of 75-6-1. Admittedly, the experiences and honors received as head-coach at Poly have been hard to top.

After resigning as the head coach at LB Poly, Jaso became a Physical Education Instructor and Assistant Coach for Long Beach City College. In keeping with his legacy of coaching greatness, Jaso has been recognized as Mission Football Conference Coach of the Year twice ('04, '05).

Jaso recounts his most gratifying Poly football experience as watching a team composed largely of juniors respond to a huge challenge on the road at Redlands during the second round of the playoffs in '97, that team would go on to win the first title since '85. Jaso has been married to M'Liss, a '68 Poly graduate, for 29 years. The couple has three sons, Ryan, Mark and Eric. For his commitment to victory and his legacy of championship, we are proud to induct Jerry Jaso into the LB Poly Football Hall of Fame.

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