Steve Koch’s three-decade tenure as the head of the Jesuit Dallas athletics program produced a bevy of historical firsts and was marked by tremendous growth. Hired in 1994 to replace Gary Pasqua ’55, who had served as director of athletics for the previous 29 years, Koch introduced 10 new varsity programs at Jesuit, nearly doubling the number of the School’s sport offerings. Many of those programs, such as crew, cycling, and rugby, have grown to become benchmark programs throughout the region.
Under Koch’s leadership Jesuit Dallas was accepted into the University Interscholastic League (UIL), the governing body for the state’s public and charter schools. Jesuit’s application to the UIL was approved in 2003, ending decades of legal wrangling and granting Jesuit students the opportunity to compete against the biggest and best programs in Texas. It was a landmark decision for the UIL, and it had a tremendous impact on the culture and history of Jesuit.
Koch built on Jesuit’s dominant legacy in the Texas Catholic Interscholastic League and guided Jesuit through a period of unmatched excellence across the breadth of the program. In 2010, the Jesuit Dallas soccer team became the first private school team in the history of the UIL to clinch a state title while ending the year ranked No. 1 in the ESPN Rise and Top Drawer Soccer national rankings. As part of an exciting spring in 2016 that saw the nationally ranked Rangers win the UIL 6A Baseball State Championship, Jesuit Dallas became the first crew program from Texas to ever qualify for the famed Henley Royal Regatta.
In addition to establishing new programs and sub varsity teams to support the 70% of Jesuit students participating in varsity athletics, Koch’s tenure has been defined by the growth of marquee events such as the S.W.E.A.T. Regatta and the Bob Stras Knights of Columbus Basketball Tournament. Most notably, under Koch’s guidance the annual Jesuit-Sheaner Relays has evolved to become one of the most prestigious mid-season high school track & field meets in the nation.
Beyond the 47 state championships and hundreds of student-athletes who earned state and national recognition, Koch’s tenure as athletic director will be best remembered for the abundance of good will he fostered throughout the DFW community. Building relationships with officials, businesses, families, and non-profit organizations across the metroplex, Koch remains the consummate Jesuit ambassador. He is the architect behind 30 years of inspiring growth and success and leaves a legacy as one of Jesuit’s greatest champions.
