After more than three decades of teaching and coaching, Mr. Gary Rombach has announced his retirement from Jesuit High School.
Mr. Rombach began his Jesuit journey in 1990 when he was hired by principal Dick Gedrose. After running his family’s furniture store from 1978 to 1987, he felt called to the classroom. Inspired by the impact his own teachers and coaches had on him, he decided to make a change. By 1987, he had returned to school to earn his teaching certification and spent three years teaching and coaching at Douglas High School before joining Jesuit.
Over the years, Mr. Rombach taught nearly every level of high school math, from pre-algebra to precalculus. He even taught speech and physics. He served as dean of students, head freshman football coach, and track and field coach (specifically javelin). Although these were all important, he feels his most lasting impact was in campus ministry. From leading the freshman overnight retreat to coordinating countless Encounter retreats and walking the pilgrimage multiple times, he helped shape the spiritual core of Jesuit. “When I talk to students about campus ministry,” Mr. Rombach says, “I talk about how this is the heart of the school because this is what we're really about.”
In the classroom, Mr. Rombach was known for his consistent, straightforward style and care for students' learning. “Mr. Rombach was old-fashioned in the best way,” says junior David Copeland, who had him for math freshman year. “He kept lessons straightforward and made sure we were always engaged. His consistent approach and genuine care for how well we understood the material really stuck with me.”
Coaching, too, was more than just about sports for Mr. Rombach. “If it’s done right, coaching can teach you more about life than almost any other place,” he says. “Especially football, because it’s the ultimate team game… It teaches you to do your job. And do it as well as you can for your teammates.” Each fall, he ends the freshman football season with a tour of the school. “He showed us the important places that make up Jesuit,” recalls junior Braden Baluyut. “Coach Rombach was the first coach to show us what it meant to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.”
Through the years, Mr. Rombach credits a long list of mentors and friends who shaped his career, including Dick Gedrose, Sandy Satterberg, Fr. Masterson, Fr. Ganz, Fr. Boly, Fr. Adams, Fr. Olivier, and many others. But the students, he says, are the ones who kept him coming back. “So many students and players have influenced me…I’ve learned a lot from them.”
His decision to retire comes due to a combination of physical challenges and the long drive to campus. As for what’s next? “Read, write, reflect, rehab, and ride on the tractor,” he says.
Mr. Rombach leaves behind a legacy of wisdom and a heart fully invested in Jesuit’s mission.