Eric SorensonShaun Aguano bounces around from drill to drill coaching, teaching, laughing. It’s as if he’s been at Arizona State five years, not five weeks. Yes, the former Chandler High School legendary coach has hit the ground running since arriving in Tempe in early January.
? Spring Ball is here for @ASUFootball ? pic.twitter.com/U4slgf5uUi
— Arizona State Sun Devils (@TheSunDevils) February 10, 2019
“It’s been a blast,” Aguano said with a smile to Sports360AZ.com. “My first week I was in California. My second and third week I [was] in Arizona so I’ve hit every school in the east Valley. The reception has been incredible.”
Thank you Head Coach @HermEdwards @aguanos and the ASU staff for visiting Pinnacle HS today to recruit the Pioneers! #ForksUp!
— ?️INNACLE FOOTBALL (@GoBigBlue_PHS) January 29, 2019
Aguano’s reception at ASU has been the same. He first met head coach Herm Edwards a few years ago and the two immediately clicked, both in their football and, more importantly, family mindset.
Herm Edwards like to mess around with people so today he picked on new RBs coach @aguanos. Said his contract has a temperature clause and he was the reason they practiced inside today. ? #ASU #12Sports pic.twitter.com/zWf8LXAIJt
— Chierstin Susel (@ChierstinSusel) February 12, 2019
“I get a call to get an interview with Coach Edwards,” Aguano recalls. “It was a quick one. He asked me if he wanted to job…it was a no-brainer for me to go.”
It was, however, difficult to say goodbye to not only his Chandler football family, but his fellow CHS teachers, as well.
“The assistant coaches and the faculty helped make this decision hard,” he said. “I didn’t want to send an e-mail out…so I walked for three hours and hugged every single one of them because they helped me build what Chandler is. I think I got closure from that.”
The Wolves will now be led but one of his long-time assistants, Rick Garretson, who Aguano believes will keep the Wolves’ winning as the three-time defending 6A State Champions prepare for spring football.
“They’re just taking me out of it,” Aguano said of Garretson and his long-time assistants. “They were doing the day-to-day details. Hopefully they keep that culture there. [Garretson] is going to have to put his stamp on there some way different.”
In many ways Aguano has already put his stamp on the Sun Devil program and the best is certainly yet to come.
