Sam Budnyk, Cardinal Newman Coaching Legend, Dies at 92

His death closes a decades-long career that shaped Palm Beach County sports by advancing racial and gender inclusion.

Overview

Budnyk, who died Friday, July 17, at age 92, prompted an outpouring of tributes from former players, colleagues and the Cardinal Newman community.
He began at Cardinal Newman in 1961 and served more than 45 years there, spending 46 seasons as the football coach and compiling hundreds of wins across multiple sports.
Reports credit him with 278 football victories and 954 career wins overall, and with sending more than 150 players to NCAA Division I programs, including four who reached the NFL.
Budnyk took specific steps to broaden access in local sports, hiring the first African American assistant coach at a Florida private school in 1965, scheduling Palm Beach County’s first largely integrated high school game in 1967, and allowing the county’s first girl to compete in varsity track in 1973.
His legacy includes fields named in his honor, induction into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, formal local recognitions and a lasting influence on how Cardinal Newman and the county mentor student-athletes.