Jesuit High School Names Phil Rombach '02 As Head Football Coach (Photo) - 04/01/26
BEAVERTON, Ore. (April 1, 2026) - Jesuit High School has selected Phil Rombach '02 as the school’s next Head Football Coach. He will also serve as Director of Sports Performance, implementing and overseeing a comprehensive strength and conditioning program for all students.
Coach Phil Rombach is a 2002 graduate of Jesuit High School and the school’s sixth football coach in its 70-year history. The football program’s tradition of excellence includes six state titles and 34 Metro League titles. Many players have gone on to play collegiate and professional football, and generations of alumni continue to live out the program’s values as men for others in their families and communities.
The search for Jesuit’s Head Football Coach focused on strategic leadership, operational excellence, a passion for holistically developing young people in mind, body and spirit, and a commitment to the broader mission of Jesuit High School, resulting in 50 applications from across the country and a comprehensive evaluation process led by a search committee of several faculty and staff.
Coach Rombach is currently the Assistant Head Football Coach, Defensive Pass Coordinator, and Linebackers Coach at Linfield University. From 2023-2025, he served as the Head Football Coach at St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School in Austin, Texas. In three years at St. Michael’s, Coach Rombach significantly grew and strengthened the football program, increasing participation by 54%, moving the team to a higher classification, securing playoff berths in the past two seasons, and ensuring that the program was on positive footing moving forward.
Prior to St. Michael’s, Coach Rombach coached at Linfield University for 16 years in a variety of roles including Defensive Pass Coordinator, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, Recruiting Coordinator, and Director of Operations. During those years, Linfield won 12 conference championships and made several deep playoff runs.
After graduating from Jesuit, Coach Rombach played football at Linfield University for four years where he was team captain and an all-conference linebacker, helping the team win four conference championships and a national championship.
Coach Rombach earned a degree in health education from Linfield and subsequently earned his master’s degree in education with a focus on secondary education from Grand Canyon University. Coach Rombach’s ties to Jesuit extend over the past many decades with his father, Gary Rombach, coaching Jesuit football and track and field and teaching math for more than 30 years.
“My mission in coaching football is to teach life skills to young men and to build them into well-rounded, faith-filled servant leaders who are ready to enter the next phase of life and have a positive impact on their communities,” said Coach Rombach. “I look forward to leading our football program and continuing to develop young people in Ignatian values and the Jesuit tradition. I will work tirelessly to continue the tradition of excellence that is Jesuit Football and to represent our program well for years to come.”
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Phil as our new Head Football Coach,” said Colin Griffin '00, Jesuit’s Athletic Director. “His leadership, vision, and commitment to our school’s mission will honor the proud tradition of Jesuit football while continuing to grow our program to new heights.”
Phil Rombach succeeds Ken Potter, who is retiring at the end of the 2025-26 school year from his roles as Counselor and Head Coach of the Varsity Football Team. In his 39 years at Jesuit, Coach Potter’s 369-92 overall record includes 25 Metro League championships and four state titles, including his first state title in 2000 when Coach Phil Rombach was a player. In fall 2024, Coach Potter’s historic 353rd victory made him the all-time winningest football coach in Oregon.
Photos courtesy of Linfield University and St. Michael's Prep (see photo titles for credit information).
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About Jesuit High School: Founded in 1956 by the Society of Jesus, Jesuit High School is Oregon's only secondary school in the Ignatian tradition of excellence in education. Our 1,280 students represent a diverse mix of young men and women from the Portland metro area and southwest Washington.
Jesuit High School's mission is to educate "men and women for others.” Our graduates are leaders who are religious, loving, intellectually competent, committed to doing justice, and open to growth. Jesuit is the recipient of two U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Awards, a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Award for its sustainability efforts, 20 OSAA Cup Awards for outstanding achievement in academics, school activities, athletics, and sportsmanship, 30 OACA 6A All Sports Awards, and was named the #1 high school athletic program in the nation by MaxPreps in 2007, 2010, 2016 and 2019. More information can be found at jesuitportland.org.