Johnny Campos, San Antonio John Jay Head Baseball Coach, passed away Monday, September 5. He was taken to the emergency room Monday morning after complaining of headaches and not feeling well at an early morning football practice. Campos had heart surgery in 2009 but it was not known if the cause of death was anything similar to those heart issues from then.
Coach Campos has been the Head Baseball Coach at John Jay for the last 32 years. He had been a Head Baseball Coach for 37 years and had 396 career wins.
San Antonio O’Connor Head Baseball Coach David Collenback considered Johnny Campos one of his good friends and he reflected on the many years of their friendship and their battling each other on the baseball field in NISD. “Johnny Campos was always positive and dedicated to the students that he coached. He had a passion for baseball and his next passion was Country and Western dancing. He will be sorely missed in the NISD community.”
Coach Campos was a promoter of his players and regularly submitted nominations for the THSB 6A Hitter and/or Pitcher of the Week.
Campos was 59 years old.
John Jay Varsity Assistant Baseball Coach Daniel Montejano paid this tribute to Coach Campos
“I coached with Coach Campos for 15 years. I got to know him inside out. He loved his family, he loved his job, he loved the community, and most of all he loved his players. He had many opportunities to coach at another school, but he turned everyone of those offers down. He treated every player like his own son. He got to know their families, their brothers,their sisters, aunts, uncles etc. and made sure that they did everything they can to be successful in the real world. He lived baseball, he would call me all the time about different things we can do to help the players be successful, on and off the field. He was looking forward to getting his 400th victory this year. He was stern but he was fair, and his love for his players showed even when people didn’t see it, and his players and former players loved him for that. We had over 40 alumni players show up last year for the john Jay 1st annual alumni baseball game, and that was one of the happiest and proudest moments I ever saw him. He taught me everything I know as far as coaching and his legacy will live forever at Jay.”
Coach Johnny Campos
July 8, 1957 – September 5, 2016
