Daniel Sainzindicated he is stepping down at Catalina Foothills after three seasons because of the time constraints of serving in the United States Air Force in addition to be a varsity football head coach.
Sainz, 32, coached the Falcons to a 16-14 record in his three seasons. The Falcons had a winning record of 6-4 in his first two seasons.
He spends his days with the Air National Guard.
“Being a member of the U.S. Air Force, my commitment to my country is conflicting with my ability to properly lead a program the way the kids deserve to be successful, and at this time, it’s best for me to step away,” Sainz mentioned in a text message. “The Foothills community has been nothing but incredible and I can’t thank the administration enough for taking a chance on me and allowing me to lead their program these three seasons.
“I loved every moment and I hope I made a positive impact on every player who entered my program. Go Falcons!”
The possibility exists Sainz could return in the fall with less time demands as an assistant coach at a local school.
Sainz was an offensive line coach at Sahuaro High School under Scott McKee for nine seasons before becoming the head coach at Catalina Foothills in April 2021.
He was a senior center listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds at Santa Rita when Jeff Scurran coached the Eagles to the state championship game in 2008.
Sainz’s offensive lines at Sahuaro were productive in terms of helping to generate a very potent running game. In the Cougars’ 2019 season, they rushed for 3,310 yards and three of their running backs gained at least 700 yards.
Before Sainz became the offensive line coach, he served one season as an apprentice on McKee’s staff.
Sainz’s departure creates the 11th coaching change in Southern Arizona after the conclusion of last season.
SOUTHERN ARIZONA COACHING CHANGES AFTER 2023 SEASON
| SCHOOL | PREVIOUS | NEW |
|---|---|---|
|
Salpointe
|
Eric Rogers | Pat Ryden |
|
Sahuarita
|
Jake Price | Jake Allen |
|
Pueblo
|
Jake Allen | Sly Lewis |
|
Cholla
|
Virgil Henderson | DeShaun Epps |
|
Benson
|
Dustin Cluff | Chris Rasmussen |
|
Bisbee
|
Shawn Holley | |
|
Rio Rico
|
Jeff Scurran | |
|
Rincon/University
|
Khyree Copeland | |
|
Canyon del Oro
|
Dustin Peace | |
|
Catalina Foothills
|
Daniel Sainz | |
|
Willcox
|
Eric Hjalmarson |
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