Eric SorensonDuring his 14-year NFL career Jon Kitna was a leader on the field. Now the Brophy Broncos are confident the former quarterback can be a leader of men as the new head varsity coach at the central Phoenix prep school.
BCP announced late last week Kitna would replace Scooter Molander who resigned after 13 years in the same position.
He believes he is the perfect fit for the program both on and off the field.
“Their mission at Brophy is so parallel to the mission I’ve been teaching and coaching for the last six years since I retired,” Kitna said to Sports360AZ.com in a phone interview Tuesday morning. “With the interest on faith, character development and excellence in all programs that just seems like a great match.”
Jon Kitna to Brophy Prep. I guarantee no one placed any bets on that hire when the job opened. Have never seen his teams play, but love the NFL pedigree that Kitna brings.
— Jason Jewell (@jason247scout) February 15, 2018
The transition from player to coach has gone well for the 45-year-old Kitna who won back-to-back district titles at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington before spending the past three seasons at Waxahachie High School in Texas.
“The thing that I’ve learned the most is it’s an ever-changing dynamic,” he explained. “You have to be so consistent with your message, day in and day out so that the kids are hearing what you want them to hear.”
Kitna is still in the process of familiarizing himself with Arizona high school football but recognizes the Grand Canyon State has become a popular destination for college coaches to find talent.
He will also have the advantage of utilizing Brophy’s new athletic facilities which features a state-of-the-art weight room, as well as indoor practice areas.
“They do a really good job of training young men up to be leaders and to be for other people,” Kitna said of his new school. “Certainly the athletic [facilities] can be helpful if we use it the right way.”
Kitna played professionally for the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. He also quarterbacked in the World League of American Football back in 1997.
