Some people look at you and they look right through you, like they're looking for the next person to talk to. But with Vigil, you never felt unimportant in front of him.-- Larry Fujimoto, Alamosa High School, 1954-1958

I grew up caring about things. I just carried it over into my work. I knew that people had problems. I knew that my mom had problems. I knew the problems that people on the south side had. I tried to get them all to the next level of success, something you could be proud of. And I just practiced the same principles on the team.-- Joe I. Vigil

(I would tell my athletes) you're here; your parents are sacrificing to send you to school. Don't let them down. Work a little harder. Be accountable. Be an impact person for your team. Help your teammates out. You know, they're not machines; they're going to have a bad every now and then.-- Joe I. Vigil

I think the summation of Coach Vigil is that he is a coaches' coach, and there are very few of those in this business. The ultimate compliment that any coach has is that you have a go-to person -- and we call those mentors. But then you have a person like Coach Vigil, who is a step ahead of the vast majority of coaches in the United States.-- Lance Harter, head coach, University of Arkansas women's cross country and track and field

I told Coach, ‘You know, I realize we’ve been working hard for this, but the medal almost doesn’t matter anymore because I feel like you all have elevated me in such a way that I never could have duplicated that.’ The reinforcement of the journey is so valuable, not just the prize or medal hanging around your neck. And we had such a special time pursuing that together.-- Denna Kastor, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon

I think life is too short to have anger and resentment. That doesn't get you anywhere. I think favor comes to him because he is constantly paying it forward, helping people, and in turn great things happen to him. I keep seeing that over and over. He's a great example of what it means to pay it forward.-- Peggy Vigil, daughter of Coach Joe I. Vigil