Students remember life of USU bowling coach
Craig Lofthouse, bowling instructor and coach of USU’s bowling team club, was laid to rest Monday at the Paradise Cemetery. Around 150 friends and family braved the snow and wind to honor and remember him. An estimated 1,000 people attended a viewing at the mortuary the day before.
According to Brian Olsen, president of the USU bowling club, the numbers are a testament to the life Lofthouse lived.
“Craig was always selfless. He spent countless numbers of hours, money out of his own pocket and time to help us,” Olsen said.
Lofthouse began teaching and coaching at USU eight years ago. Utah State did not have a bowling team for many years until he revived the program. He coached the local junior league, the Pin Smashers, for about 17 years.
Olsen said Lofthouse never missed one of their tournaments and he was rigorous in practice to prepare them well. Lofthouse spent his own money and vacation time to be able to coach them away at tournaments. He also said when out of town, he never missed a chance to take a trip to Trader Joe’s, where he stocked up on trail mix and nuts.
USU bowling team member Chris Tryon said he will miss Lofthouse’s patience and wisdom.
“I am probably the most stubborn, thick-headed one on the college team and his patience with me was just so humbling,” Tryon said. “Every time I picked up a bowling ball he’d always be there with what I needed to hear and whether I wanted to hear it or not, it was right.”
Olsen said if they threw the ball wrong, Lofthouse rarely criticized, he just gave a smirk that told it all. Charles Tyler, who co-ran the junior league with Lofthouse, said that was typical of his coaching style.
“His theory was to teach and try different things with them, then let them go and make their own mistakes,” he said. “There is only so much that you can teach before they have to go on their own. Then you wait until they are ready to ask for help.”
Tyler said he will miss his friend and partner in coaching the juniors and he strives to have the same effect on the youth that Lofthouse did.
“Not only did he teach bowling but he taught things about life, too, that you can hold onto,” he said.
Michael Gibbs, president of the local men’s association for bowling, worked side by side with Lofthouse to put tournaments together and to manage the adult leagues. Gibbs said his own children benefited from Lofthouse’s coaching.
“I remember one tournament when my son was sicker than a dog,” he said. “Between turns, he was throwing up in the bathroom. Craig was there, cheering him on throughout saying ‘You can do it.’ My son ended up having the highest shot and Craig was high-fiveing him at the win.”
Tyler said, “He was all about the kids, always looking for ways to help the youth.”
Tyler said Lofthouse also umpired for Little League softball and baseball and coached girl’s soccer. Lofthouse also helped his daughters, Casey Jo (Rowley) and Maddie Jo, raise sheep and horses for 4-H. He loved raising and training horses and had four of his own.
Lofthouse’s life was cut short due to complications from a fall from a horse. The accident occurred Oct. 22 while he was riding with his daughter. According to Rowley, his horse got spooked and reared up. Horse and rider came down together and Lofthouse’s pelvis was shattered upon impact. Rowley, a nurse, performed CPR before paramedics arrived.
He was transported by helicopter to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden where they performed surgery to repair the injury. He was recovering in a rehabilitation facility in Brigham City when he passed away Nov. 3 at age 52.
Lofthouse was a Cache Valley native. He graduated from Logan High, where he participated in football and wrestling. He attended USU on a scholarship for wrestling in the late 1970s.
Lofthouse’s friends said his love of sports has remained constant throughout his life. When not participating himself, he enjoyed watching them. His favorite football team was the Buffalo Bills. He also loved the rodeo and often traveled to Las Vegas to see the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) finals.
“If a football game and a rodeo were on at the same time, Lofthouse got his way and the rodeo was on the TV at the bowling alley,” Tyler said.
Olsen said, “You knew he was at the alley if a liter of Mountain Dew was lying around. If you saw a Mountain Dew on a lane you knew which lane he was on.”
Olsen said Lofthouse wanted to put together a collegiate bowling tournament to be hosted by USU. Olsen plans to organize the event and will name the tournament the Craig Lofthouse Memorial Collegiate Shoot-Out. Gibbs is working on creating a junior league scholarship in his name.
At the graveside service on Monday, they played one of Lofthouse’s favorite songs, Chris LeDoux’s “Tougher than the Rest”. Olsen said the song represented him well. Olsen, Tryon, Tyler and Gibbs all said when they first met him he seemed gruff, “like a grizzly bear.” As they came to know him they appreciated how much he cared for others, especially youth.
“With the exception of my dad, there is nobody that has shown me the love as Coach did,” Olsen said.
– tam.r@aggiemail.usu.edu