Jack LaBonde graduated from North Denver High School in 1946.

Following graduation, he took off on an adventure to Washington and Montana to join the forest service as a smokejumper, lookout spotter and in trail maintenance for several summers.

Jack began his college education at Colorado State University before transferring to Colorado State College, now the University of Northern College. He was a Rocky Mountain Conference wrestling champion in 1951 while also playing shortstop on the UNC baseball team that went to the College World Series in 1952.

He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in health and safety. Following graduation, he joined the United States Navy, serving two years as an induction trainer while playing baseball on an all-service team.

He began his coaching and teaching career in Brush, Colorado, coaching baseball and wrestling in 1955-56. Jack then taught and coached at Montrose, Colorado from 1956-59, leading the Indians to wrestling titles in 1957 and 1959 and a runner-up finish in 1958. He coached the state of Colorado’s first four-time high school champion, Bob Thompson, at Montrose. Jack also led Montrose to a pair of runner-up finishes at the state baseball tournament.

Jack helped organize the Colorado Class A Wrestling Tournament in 1968 and served as its director for 10 years while the tournament was held in Greeley.

In 1959, he moved to Greeley and taught health, safety, physical education, and driver’s education at CSC.

He coached wrestling from 1959-82 and baseball from 1959-65. He was known as “Jack the Giant Killer” as a wrestling coach, his teams defeating several nationally ranked teams when they visited Greeley. Fans would pack Gunter Hall, filling the gym from the rafters to the edge of the mat.

His wrestling teams had a combined record of 152-68-2 and won five Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference titles and five Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championships. In 1969, CSC finished second at the NCAA Division II National Championships. Jack coached several All-Americans, including NCAA Division I national champions Jack Flasche and Lenard Lordino and NCAA Division II national champions Len Groom and Larry Wagner. Groom was also a finalist at the 1969 NCAA Division I National Championships.