Sam Pagano

Year Inducted: 1987
Nominated By: James Pagano
Sports Competed In: Football
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Coach

High School:
Attended Pueblo Central H.S., graduating in 1955.

Achievements:
High School: 
● Played three years of football for the Wildcats at tackle and place kicker.
● Scored 29 points on Points After Touchdowns (PATs) - four in 1952, 14 in 1953 and 11 in 1954 as recorded in the "The Steel City Football Almanac" by David Mihalick.

College:
● Went to Pueblo Junior College and played two years of football under under coach Elliot Plese & coach Joe Prater (1955-56).
● Transferred to Denver University where he played linebacker and guard for the Pioneers for two seasons (1957-58) before graduating in 1959.
● Denver University dropped football in 1960 (one year after Pagano left).
● Attended the first try out camp for the Denver Broncos at Colorado School of Mines as a kicker - got cut prior to first game.

Coaching Career:
College/High School: 
● Began his coaching career as an assistant football coach at Adams State College in Alamosa, CO for a year (1958-59).
● Moved to the high school level and coach at Boulder H.S., in Boulder CO for eight seasons.
● Spent the next 21 years (1968-89) as the head football coach at Boulder Fairview H.S., where his teams compiled a record of 164-58-4.
● Won two state championships (1979 and 1987) while at Boulder Fairview and gained a co-championship in 1978.
● Retired from coaching football after the 1989 season.
Professional: 
● Pagano returned to the sidelines in 1994, coaching Bergamo, Italy to a 14-1 record and a runner-up finish in the Italian Super Bowl.
● He coached briefly at Taipei then returned to Europe and coached in Germany and France.
● Returned to Bergamo in 2002 and closed out his coaching career with a 16-0 Team and a Eurobowl Championship.
● Sam’s oldest Son, Chuck, is the coach of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.
● He previously coached with the Baltimore Ravens.
● Sam’s younger son John Pagano was a defensive coordinator of San Diego Chargers.

Honors:
Joined the United States Marine Corps for two years (1954-55).

Occupation:
Coach at Fairview “Knights” High School in Boulder for 21 years.