Elgin High School honors the legacy of graduate and coach Jeff Rysdam with a field dedication ceremony
By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, October 21st, 2026 in Northeastern Oregon News Northeastern Oregon Top Stories
ELGIN – Over five years ago, one of Elgin’s most beloved educators passed away unexpectedly, leaving behind both a legacy of kindness, and a heartbroken community that saw him as far more than just a coach. Now, that same community is looking to memorialize him in such a way that, no matter how much time passes, he will never be forgotten. Students, families, alumni, and all who may have known or been impacted by the man are now invited to join in honoring the late Jeff Rysdam in a field dedication ceremony this Friday, October 23rd.
For anyone who may be unfamiliar, Jeff Rysdam was born on October 1st, 1977, in Elgin Oregon to a family of life-long Elginight’s. Growing up and going to school in Elgin, Jeff would eventually graduate from Elgin High School in 1996, before moving to Western Oregon and working in construction.
In 2016, he would return to Elgin and be hired by the school district as a social studies teacher. By 2017, Jeff had become Elgin’s head football coach, a position that would have an unprecedented impact on the lives of many. Tragically, Jeff’s coaching career and life were cut short. On March 9, 2021, Jeff Rysdam would suddenly collapse and pass away outside his home due to suspected cardiac arrest.
Though his time coaching at Elgin ended early, the impact Jeff had on the community and the lives of those within it cannot be understated. Elgin Athletic Director Kevin Johnson, who previously served as Jeff’s Assistant Athletic Director, commented that, while Jeff never had children of his own, all of Elgin’s kids were his kids. Elgin 4th Grade Teacher and Lifelong friend of Jeff, Lisa Medellin (whose son would go on to be one of Jeff’s athletes) would further explain that Jeff would spoil his team, always making sure they had ample Gatorade on hand, and ensuring they didn’t get seriously hurt when playing. As Lisa remarked, “he made the whole family atmosphere of a football game just super special.”
This isn’t to say that Jeff didn’t have a serious side, nor that he wasn’t capable of using discipline, with Kevin remarking, “it seemed like he was kind of a rough, tough, serious individual, especially with the kids,” while Lisa noted he even had a bit of sass and humor among friends. That said, both Kevin and Lisa described him as a “big teddy bear” kind of man that genuinely cared for Elgin’s students and poured everything he had into their wellbeing. All round, Jeff Rysdam was more than a coach, he was a mentor and father figure to so many of Elgin’s young athletes during his time with the district, shaping and molding his players to be the best they could be, not just as athletes, but as people.
Beyond the personal impact, Jeff was also a driving force for Elgin athletics, being the one that launched the district’s 8-man football camp. His final major project for Elgin’s football program, one that he would tragically not see the completion of, was the resurfacing of Elgin’s football field.
According to Kevin, the field itself is built on the remains of an old log yard, with remaining wood material and scraps beginning to decompose and interfere with the field during the 2010s. Around 2019, Jeff began a major push to raise funds and have the field resurfaced. Roughly a year after his passing, the Elgin School District would eventually resurface the field like he had hoped.
It’s only fitting then that the Elgin community has officially decided to dedicate the field in Honor of Jeff Rysdam. Of course, this decision goes beyond just honoring Jeff’s work on the field project and is a way to truly memorialize him within the district. Despite the incredible impact he had, enough time has passed that many of Elgin’s athletes had no experience with Jeff and never knew the type of man he was or what he meant to Elgin. By forever tying his name to the field he helped save, it will ensure that, “he won’t be forgotten,” as Lisa put it.
Even beyond memorializing Jeff, the ceremony is also meant for those who knew him. Jeff’s mother, Kathy Rysdam, who also lost her husband previously, survives her son and continues to be an active part of the community. Both Kevin and Lisa noted that the dedication will be a chance for Kathy to truly see the legacy her son left behind. For his former players and students too, the ceremony will serve as an opportunity to share memories and see firsthand the full impact their coach had.
The actual dedication ceremony will take place during halftime of Elgin’s last home varsity football game this Friday, October 23rd at Elgin High School. The game will begin at 7:00 p.m., with halftime estimated to begin around 8:00 p.m. that evening. The ceremony will also include the unveiling of a custom-built metal sign, created by Elgin Agriculture Science Instructor and FFA Advisor Daniel Bolen.
All community members, past and present, are invited to attend the game and the ceremony. In particular, Kevin heavily encourages all of Jeff’s current and former athletes to attend if they can, remarking, “I just hope to see on that night that every single player that possibly played underneath him will find the time to sit down and set everything else aside.”
While Jeff Rysdam may be gone, his memory is seemingly engraved within the fabric of Elgin itself. With a family history stretching back generations prior, and a legacy likely to last for generations to come, the community is unlikely to forget his name anytime soon. Nonetheless, while naming the field in his honor may seem like a small gesture, it will serve as the cap to a tragically short but indisputably impactful life, ensuring Jeff Rysdam will forever be remembered as the man who gave everything he had to the school, sport, and people he loved.
