Park City High School football said goodbye to Head Coach Josh Montzingo, who last week left the Miners for the head coaching job at Brighton High School.
He also resigned from his physical education teaching role after the third academic quarter ended last week and is finishing this school year teaching physical education at Brighton.
Montzingo served as Park City High’s head football coach since 2016. During his tenure, the Miners earned 82 wins, four regional championships and made three state playoff appearances, with 45 of his student athletes ascending to play collegiate football.
When Casey Sutera left Brighton after the 2025 season to become head coach at Corner Canyon, Montzingo expressed interest in the position.
“It’s 5A ball, so it’s a step up as far as a division of football,” Montzingo said. “This was just kind of a point where I have enough years left to keep going and if I was going to do it, this would be the year to do it.”
Montzingo has already participated in a meet and greet with the Brighton community and looks forward to the new experience.
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity and excited to get to work, get to know everybody and become a part of the community,” Montzingo said. “I’m going to earn their trust, and we’re going to work hard to hopefully develop a strong program and keep continuing to build off the foundation that’s already been built by a couple of great coaches before myself. I’ll do my share and maybe bring my own flavor and spin to it, but mostly keep loving the kids and keep coaching and become a part of the community over time.”
Montzingo arrived in Park City in 2012 from Nebraska, where he had coached and taught for 13 years. The family moved to Utah when his wife, Candice Montzingo, started as a cardiac anaesthesiologist at the University of Utah.
“I came without a job, so when we moved to Park City, I just took a chance and got into the district as a teacher’s aide,” Montzingo said. “I didn’t coach my first year and got to know some people in the community. There was a coaching change at that time, and I reached out to the new head coach when he took over to see if he had any need for assistants. I was lucky enough to jump onto his staff and get started.”
He concurrently began teaching physical education at Ecker Hill Middle School and driving to the high school for afternoon practice.
“I was an assistant for three years, getting to know the community, getting to know the kids,” Montzingo said. “I fell in love with everything.”
When head coach Mike Shepherd left the Miners, Montzingo threw his hat in the ring and got the job, along with his teaching position at the high school. He instituted an ambitious coaching policy that led to Miners victories and off-field development.
“I coach for transformation, trying to make a difference in our kids’ lives,” Montzingo said. “We’re building strong relationships to where we can push them and be demanding but not be demeaning. They know we’re pushing them for the right reasons, always looking for them to become better fathers, sons, husbands, students and community members and successful in their endeavors. Whatever it is, we’re hoping we can be a part of their development and help them to become the best version of themselves, just using the game of football as a vehicle to do that.”
Raising two children in Park City provided Montzingo with the opportunity to teach both of them, along with coaching his son, Tyler, on the gridiron.
“They were super gracious, gave me some leeway and let me teach them,” Montzingo said. “I think it’s probably harder for them than it is for me, but we got along really well.”
This family connection with Tyler made for a favorite coaching memory.
“Him and I getting to go for his senior year to Rice Eccles and make it to the semifinals and get to play on that field that was super special,” Montzingo said. “Getting to have that opportunity for me as a dad, a teacher and a coach are definitely some of my most special moments.”
Park City has yet to announce its next football coach, but Montzingo offered a few words of advice.
“Enjoy this opportunity,” Montzingo said. “You’re walking into an incredible community that loves sports, both the kids and the school. Invest in this community and become a part and they’ll embrace you right back. Park City is a unique, special place to be and enjoy every second of it.”