Jerry “Coach Bonez” Roesch
Congratulations to Jerry “Bonez” Roesch on receiving the St. Patrick’s Irish Festival Heritage
Award. Bonez is a lifetime member of St. Patrick’s Parish, and in his younger days played
basketball for St. Patricks school and CYO. He has made an enormous impact on this
community, volunteering his time and talents over and over again.
“Bonez” has been the head basketball coach of the CYO for 25 years, and was the CYO Athletic
Director for 31 years. He also coached grammar school girls for 9 years, and is currently the
Bishop Ludden girls basketball coach and has been for 6 years. He was also the gym teacher at
All Saints for a year and a half.
He began the popular Leprechaun League and has run it with “Coach Coz” for 20 years. He has
also been a volunteer at the Irish Fest for 20 years, as well as running many fundraisers for the
parish and community. “Coach Bonez” is responsible for starting the Tipp Hill Athletic
Association, and is the club President.
“Bonez” is married to Nora (Arnold) and has 3 children. Michele, Bryant and Hannah were all
students at St. Patrick’s School. He owns George O’Deas restaurant.
Jeffrey “Coach Coz” Costello
Congratulations also to Jeff “Coz” Costello on receiving the St. Patrick’s Irish Festival Heritage
Award. “Coz” has volunteered countless hours of his time to help St. Patrick’s parish and the
Irish community of Syracuse. He teamed up with Bonez 20 years ago, starting up and running
the Leprechaun League and CYO. He has volunteered his time at the Irish Fest every year
since it began in 1991.
When Bonez had the vision to create a charitable organization made up of Tipp Hill men, Coz
was one of the original 5 members that came to be the known as the Tipp Hill Athletic Club.
Along with Scott Mullholland (Coz’s best friend since childhood), Fred Brown, and Alan
Johnston, Bonez and Coz started the T.H.A.C. which has donated numerous hours and
thousands of dollars to local charities.
In 2009 Coach Coz was the proud winner of the Great Guy Award for his work with Project
Children and the Syracuse Chiefs. In 2010 he won the NAACP Community Award.
Jeff’s wife and soulmate Colleen (Austin) has been a member of the parish council, a teacher of
the St. Patrick’s Confirmation Class, and active with Community Outreach. They have one son,
Justin. Coach Coz wants to thank his mother, his sisters Maureen Ackerman and Marilyn
McNamara, and his brothers John, Jim and Jay who have all done so much but without any
fanfare. He only wishes that his father (a St. Patrick’s graduate) was here to see him receive the
Heritage Award, but he is surely here in spirit.
