'We're at a good time in life': New Saguaro football coach Zak Hill happy to stay in Phoenix area
How hyped was Scottsdale Saguaro about bringing in Zak Hill to be its next football coach?
It did something very rarely seen at the high school level. It held an introductory news conference on Wednesday afternoon with state championship trophies on the table, at which the former Arizona State offensive coordinator sat and answered questions from the media.
There were also cupcakes for those in attendance and a chance for one-on-one interviews afterwards.
The red carpet rolled out big for Hill, who last led a high school football team in 2008 at Hillsboro, Oregon, his only season as a high school head football coach.
Saguaro Principal Ann Achtziger and Athletic Director Matt Harris flanked Hill at the table as he was introduced as the next head football coach, following 11-year coach Jason Mohns, who left one of the nation's top programs to become an assistant coach at ASU under first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham.
Saguaro won seven state titles, including the Open crown in 2021, in Mohns' 11 seasons in charge. Mohns highly endorsed Saguaro's decision toi make Hill the next coach.
That's as tough an act as any for a coach to follow. But Hill brings a nice college resume that include two years as ASU's OC, after being the OC at Boise State for four years and coaching at Eastern Washington from 2009-15, not to mention a strong work ethic, a family-oriented approach of getting to know the players and assistants around them more than just players and coaches.
"The biggest thing is I think our players are going to get that opportunity to develop from a guy who really understands how to get to different levels, different levels in his coaching experience," Harris said.
Hill, who will be calling the offense, hopes to connect with the players on a deeper level as he gets to know them during winter workouts, heading into spring football in May. Hill also is starting the process of shaping his staff, leaving the door open for current assistants to remain. During a roundtable discussion Wednesday, he wanted to know more about each coach as a person.
"The main message is the football piece will come," Hill said, on what he relayed to the players earlier in the day when he got to address them for the first time. "Right now the big thing is earning trust, getting to know each other, caring for each other.
"It's the connections that really make this thing. I know there is good chemistry and good culture there. Right now it's doing the right thing in the classroom and doing the right thing off the field. If you're doing those things, making good decisions, it makes it a lot easier to be a good football player."
Hill, 43, in a sense, is drawing back to his early football roots, watching his father lead his high school footall teams as the coach. When his parents move to the Valley after Hill got the OC job at ASU in 2020, that brought family closer. And with his two kids now being ages 6 and 9, there isn't the desire to uproot his family to chase a college football job somewhere.
"When we came down here, we definitley fell in love with Arizona," Hill said. "We feel like we're on vacation every day.
"I've had an opportunity to make that run. Go to different levels. Move my family. Whether it's Eastern Washington or Boise. I was at Hawaii for two months. My kids were at point in their lives, as long as mom was there, it's good. Now at 6 and 9, now they know what's happening with moving. I've had the opportunity to do some things, which has given me some experience. I think we're at a good time in our life when the stability and the environment that we're in .... My dad was a head high school coach, so I was always around practices, being a ball boy, around different sports.
"I remember that growing up. I want my kids to be around that. If I'm moving to Buffalo or Arkansas, it puts different challenges on the family. I feel very comfortable with the conversations with my wife and parents. I think it's a good time to do this or I wouldn't be here."
Hill was happy in a small role as an assistant last season at American Leadership Gilbert North, although Eagles coach Randy Ricedorff said it was Hill who got the program over the semifinal hump to win their first AIA state title at the 4A level.
Achtziger said Hill's professionalism and experience at both the high school and college levels stood out during the interview process.
"He just was a class act and a natural when he sat down," Achtziger said.
Hill said it was hard to see how things went at ASU, resigning in late January 2022 amid the NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations during the COVID-19 2020 period, when high school football recruits were prohibited from visiting colleges. He was among several coaches who departed.
"It wasn't the way you wanted it," Hill said. "But it's also life. You've got to handle it and move on. It's a part of it."
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter@azc_obert
it's about us getting to know each other.
"Being involved in a program like Saguaro and the leadership that we have, taht was one of the main reasons i took this job, seeing the vision of the administration, where things are going. the vision from a coach's standpoint, but athletics and school goals and standards. this is a great place to go to school and a treat place to play atghletidds
it's a true honor to be involved with this. having the coacint staff we have in place i'm excited to tet to know them. we had a general meeting , see some faces ,get to know me, that's going to be a process..
'i want to continue to try to push the envelope a little bit and raise those standards and elevate thesae kids in life. but there are always challenges coming into a program where i dont hae the automatic connections with the kids and the coaches. there's that challenge of fgetting on the same page. speaking the same language, making sure we're all alighned.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New Saguaro football coach Zak Hill happy to stay planted
