Event Registration

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University will honor its legendary former head football coach John Gagliardi during a special event at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, in Sexton Arena. The event follows the Johnnies' Family Weekend and Homecoming game against Carleton at 1 p.m. in Clemens Stadium.

"Honoring John's Legacy" is an event hosted by former SJU football players who have established the John Gagliardi Football Legacy Fund, with proceeds designated to this fund. Gagliardi will also be inducted that evening as a charter member of the new Saint John's J-Club Hall of Honor. 

Tickets are $75 and include dinner and refreshments, or $600 for a table of eight. The event is casual attire and space is limited.

Mike Grant '79, a member of the Johnnies' 1976 national championship team and a decorated head football coach at Eden Prairie High School, will emcee the event.

All three SJU Gagliardi Trophy recipients – Chris Palmer '96, Blake Elliott '03 and Carter Hanson '17 – are scheduled to attend.

The John Gagliardi Legacy Fund, which is co-chaired by Tim Healy '87 and Tom Wicka '90, will include endowment dollars for the long-term stability of the football program, as well as address the program's immediate needs.

The first active head coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2006) and the 2009 American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) Amos Alonzo Stagg Award recipient, Gagliardi retired in 2012 following his record 64th season as a collegiate head football coach and 60th season as head coach of the Johnnies. 

He ended his storied career as college football's all-time wins leader with a 489-138-11 (.775) record and a 465-132-10 (.774) record at SJU, including a 362-99-9 (.780) record in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) games. Gagliardi's 64 years of collegiate coaching are the most in college football history, surpassing the old record of 57 years held by former University of Chicago and University of the Pacific coach Amos Alonzo Stagg (1890-1946).

Gagliardi coached four national championship teams (1963, 1965, 1976 and 2003), and made the 2000 national title game. His teams reached the national semifinals six other times (1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2001 and 2002). As a collegiate coach, Gagliardi's teams won 30 conference titles (including three at Carroll, Mont.) and appeared in 58 post-season games. In the past 44 years, SJU was nationally ranked 43 times and owned a 39-19 postseason record. In 1993, SJU averaged 61.5 points per game, setting an all-divisions record that may never be broken.