Former Coach, Administrator John 'Jersey' Jermier Passes

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Former University of Iowa football lettermen and administrator John "Jersey" Jermier has passed away on April 12 at the age of 92.

Jermier was appointed to Coach Frank Lauterbur's initial football staff at Iowa, coaching the defensive line in 1971. He transitioned to athletic administration for the Hawkeyes the next four years (1972-76). While serving as assistant athletic director at Iowa, he coordinated recruiting, was a key fundraiser for the athletics department, and was instrumental in the creation of the I-Club.

After his stint at Iowa he served as Kansas State's director of athletics for two years, then joined Topeka Inn Management, Inc., as Vice President-Director of Sales for two years.

Jermier was a two-sport athlete in baseball and football at Coe College. He was an all-conference selection in 1957 and 1958, and All-NAIA, District 15 selection in 1958, was voted Vice President of his senior class, and graduated Cum Laude in 1958.

After graduation, he was named head football coach at Postville High School, where he won a conference championship in 1959. After his successes at the high school level, he went on to become an assistant football and basketball coach at Coe College for two years before moving on to Wayne State College (Neb.) in 1962, becoming head coach in both baseball and football. At Wayne State, he won two football championships in 1965 and 1966, along with four baseball conference titles in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967. After Wayne State, he became an assistant football coach at Colorado State University in 1969, coaching the defense one year.

Following graduation from Charles City High School, Jermier enlisted in the US Navy in October of 1950, where he served on the aircraft carrier USS Essex during the Korean War. He went on to proudly serve his country for four years before being honorably discharged in 1954.

Jermier graduated summa cum laude from Coe in 1958 and later earned his master’s from the University of Iowa in 1965. 

A mass will be held at 10 am Thursday, April 24, at Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Cedar Falls. Visitation will be from 3-6 pm Wednesday, April 23 at Richardson Funeral Service in Cedar Falls, with a rosary at 2:30 pm and a vigil to conclude the visitation. There will also be a visitation one hour prior to mass at church.