Saguaro assistant Darius Kelly promoted to head football coach

Scottsdale Saguaro assistant Darius Kelly has been promoted to head football coach at Scottsdale Saguaro, Athletic Director Matt Harris announced to media in an email Tuesday night.

Kelly was an assistant under Zak Hill during Hill’s one season as head coach, which led to a 6A championship.

Hill, the former Arizona State and Boise State offensive coordinator, left after one season at Saguaro to become an assistant athletic director and offensive coordinator at American Leadership Academy Gilbert North, before taking a job with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL.

“Darius has a passion for football and developing players to excel on and off the field,” Harris said in his email to the media Tuesday night. “We look forward to having his elite leadership and guidance for our student-athletes in our state championship football program and know he will make an immediate and long-lasting positive impact in our school and community.”

Kelly met with Saguaro’s returning players and staff Wednesday morning to share his vision and core values to continue to build on the Saguaro football legacy, Harris said.

Kelly worked with defensive backs and wide receivers last season for the Sabercats.

He played football at Sierra Vista Buena High and Pima Community College, before moving on to Syracuse to play his final two years in college at defensive back. He started all 12 games in his last year at Syracuse.

He began coaching at his high school alma mater, working with Joe Thomas. He coached defensive backs at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.

He was the head coach at Tucson Catalina Foothills for two years. He was 7-5, including the shortened 2020 COVID year, when his team went 1-1. The Falcons went 6-4 in 2021.

Before coming to Saguaro, he was head coach of the Sonoran Sidewinders in Tucson, which was part of the Hohokam Junior…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/saguaro-assistant-darius-kelly-promoted-171345304.html

Author : AZCentral | The Arizona Republic

Publish date : 2024-03-20 17:13:45

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