Former St. Maries football coach Tefft, who led Lumberjacks to first state title in 2016, passes away from colon cancer
JASON ELLIOTT/Press St. Maries coach Craig Tefft, center, congratulates Brady Martin (32) and Tyler Lohman (13) after a scoring play in the second half of a 2016 state 2A quarterfinal football game at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow. Tefft, 47, passed away following a 10 month battle with colon cancer on Tuesday.
By JASON ELLIOTT
Sports writer
Former St. Maries High football coach Craig Tefft, who guided the Lumberjacks to the 2016 state 2A title, passed away on Tuesday at Schneidmiller Hospice House in Hayden after a 10-month battle with colon cancer.
“Craig, he was a friend of everybody,” said longtime St. Maries athletic director and friend Todd Gilkey, who retired last spring. “I don’t think there’s a person that he did not like. Craig had a way of getting kids to play football and baseball that nobody else would get out. Because those kids knew that he’d do everything he could, was a genuine person and they were his friends.”
Tefft, 47, was diagnosed with cancer following the team’s first-round game in the state playoffs in 2022. After last season, he stepped down after 13 seasons as head coach.
“He was having some pain, went to the emergency room and they found some spots,” Gilkey said. “He spent 11 months battling it.”
Tefft was 59-57 at St. Maries, with nine appearances in the state playoffs.
Tefft also coached baseball at St. Maries for 15 seasons.
Gilkey said his friendship started with Tefft years ago while searching for coaches for the Shrine All-Star football game in Moscow.
“One of my jobs was finding coaches for the 8-man game,” Gilkey said. “We just became really good friends after that.”
Memorial services are pending.