A funeral Mass is scheduled at 10 a.m. today for Jim Pagliasotti, a longtime coach and administrator in the Denver Public Schools.
Pagliasotti, 86, died Friday of complications from diabetes. The Mass is at Church of the Risen Christ, 3060 S. Monaco Parkway.
Pagliasotti joined the staff at South High School in 1960 and over a span of the next 14 years was the head coach in baseball and golf and an assistant coach in baseball, football and wrestling.
His coaching style was old school, and he demanded discipline from his athletes.
“He was the same way with us,” daughter JoAnnePagliasotti said. “He wanted us to be the best we could be.”
In 1974, Pagliasotti went into administration and moved to Abraham Lincoln High School, where he was vice principal and athletic director. That year he was among three finalists for the national athletic director of the year award.
Pagliasotti was a star athlete, making all-city and all state designation in 1941 while attending Denver West. He played in the first all-state game featuring the top high school players in Colorado as a member of the Denver team. The game was played at DU’s Hilltop Stadium. He enrolled at Northwestern and played football there before serving as a U.S. Navy officer in World War II. He is survived by 10 children.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
