James Bongo Memorial Scholarship

James “Jim” Bongo passed away May 26, 2018, in Greenville, NC. Jim was born in Syracuse, NY and was a longtime resident of Clifton Park before becoming a resident of the Greenville, NC area. He graduated from the University of Wyoming and played football there, which led him into a career coaching high school football. He taught at several schools around New York State but was the longtime head football coach at Troy High School in Troy, NY, where he also served as the Athletic Director until his retirement in 2005. He loved the game so much that he came out of coaching retirement in 2010 to help his son, Jared, settle into his new role as head coach of the Gloversville High School varsity football program, and remained an integral part of the coaching staff through the end of the 2017 season. 

As a coach and administrator, Jim touched the lives of many young men over the course of his career. The James Bongo Memorial Scholarship Fund is being set up to honor his memory and legacy in the world of Section II football. This scholarship will ideally be awarded to a young man who exemplifies and exudes the same grit, determination, and compassion as Jim Bongo. Through this scholarship fund, we hope to keep Jim’s spirit and our fond memories of him alive.