Back in March, the Wisconsin football program was rocked by the passing of former tight end Jack Pugh, who had left the sport in 2023. It’s taken some time, but the cause of death has now been confirmed.
According to PEOPLE, the Franklin County Coroner’s Office found Pugh’s cause of death to be “acute bronchopneumonia,” a lung infection that causes inflammation of the airways. He died on March 30 at the age of 24.
The infection was deemed to be a consequence of cardiomyopathy, a heart condition. In addition, Pugh had an enlarged liver and spleen at the time of his death.
Tributes to Pugh
At the time of his passing, the Wisconsin football team paid tribute to Pugh with a touching message on their official social media team.
“The Wisconsin athletics family is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jack Pugh,” the school said in a statement.
“Jack was a positive light and brought a genuine spirit to our football program. More than that, he cared about people and was loved by his teammates and staff. Jack proudly earned his degree from UW-Madison in 2025 and will forever be remembered and loved.”
© Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.
Pugh announced his retirement in 2023 citing mental health as the main reason he wanted to stop. He admitted to dealing with depression and substance abuse but did not place the responsibility for those problems on football.
“My physical health was not near perfect, but my mental health was the reason I decided to hang it up,” he wrote at the time. “Over years of prolonged depression and substance abuse, I decided I deserved a better life and to finally find happiness.
“In no way was football the root of these problems, but everything in my life had distracted me for so long to the point I didn’t want to be alive for years. I never had prioritized my mental health all along, digging a deeper darker hole.”
“I want to thank the amazing Coaches, Teammates, Friends and Family [Wisconsin football] has provided me with over the years for helping me find a life I’m happy and proud of, and to finally create a relationship with God. I’ll never forget the memories. Love y’all.”
Our hearts go out to Pugh’s family and loved ones.
