Jon Siau’s 42-year career as a teacher at Evansville’s North High School includes a remarkable tenure as coach of 45 varsity teams and five All-Americans. All told, Jon’s coaching earned 1,573 varsity wins and six IHSAA individual championships.
His boys track team produced three individual champions. Cornell Garrett won the 220-yard dash in 1976, tying the state record (21.3). Five years later (1981), Tad Grafton won the pole vault and David Williams literally ran away with the 3200-meter run. As head of the cross country program for 17 years, Jon also coached David Williams to fourth place in the 1980 finals.
Jon’s commitment to young athletes led him to establish the girls cross country program, which he coached for ten years. As coach for the girls tennis and golf teams, he coached tennis ace Elissa Kim in back-to-back singles championships (1991, 1992) and golf standout Natalie Schmett to a state title (2010) by a five-stroke margin.
Jon took individuals and/or teams to IHSAA finals in four different sports and earned Coach of the Year honors in each. Sports historian Ron Eaton observed: “Jon Siau is very likely the only person in Indiana’s history to have coached individual state champions in at least three unrelated sports.”
Combining his love of sports and a passion to create, Jon established SPORTS ART BY SIAU, providing original artwork for colleges and athletes nationwide. The U.S. Olympic Committee commissioned him as the first artist ever to create portraits and illustrations for The Olympian Magazine, seen in all 50 states and every nation on Earth.
Others who have requested Jon’s original artwork include: NCAA Championship Coach Bob Knight, Baseball Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Joe Morgan and Steve Garvey, plus Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung. The Drake Relays tapped Jon to create an event program cover. He also created a program cover with portrait of Olympic star Jackie Joyner-Kersee in honor of Black History Month. Also, nine-time Golden Glove winner Don Mattingly commissioned Jon to create the baseball-themed logo and design aesthetics for his restaurant in Evansville.
Jon’s career as a teacher earned him local, state and national recognition, including an American Star of Teaching award (2006). Following his retirement in 2013, Jon authored and illustrated a book of autobiographical essays and penned the lyrics to an original song which he copyrighted and recorded. He has volunteered at the Indiana Track and Field and Cross Country Museum and currently serves as vice president and board member.