Irish named Westview football coach
After the pandemic hit last March, ending spring sports in Arizona, John Irish missed out on leading Avondale Westview’s baseball team the rest of the way.
Now there won’t be anymore baseball for him, after accepting the head football coaching job at the school, replacing Nick Gehrts, who is taking over the Waddell Canyon View football program.
“I would have loved to finish this year, especially since I was unable to complete last season, but the hope is that if we are able to return to athletics in spring, then we would want to have spring football happen, as well,” Irish said.
That’s the big question.
There was no football played in the Tolleson Union High School District and now no winter sports season among the schools in the district. Westview is part of the Tolleson district, which did not play football last season because the district schools did not meet the COVID-19 metrics for allowing a return to contact sports.
Tolleson’s district also has not resumed winter sports, even though the Arizona Interscholastic Assocation approved a return for the season starting Jan. 18. Districts have authority to hold off if they choose.
Irish is hopeful things can change by May, when spring football takes place.
“The task of restarting the football program is huge, but restarting or rebuilding programs is what I have done my entire head coaching career,” Irish said.
Irish began by building the baseball and athletic programs at Goodyear Desert Edge in 2004 as the head baseball coach and athletic director.
When he left in 2008, Desert Edge had won numerous region championships in several sports, including baseball, as well as a state championship in boys basketball, Irish said.
He moved to Prescott High School and restarted that baseball program in 2008, because, he said, he felt there was void left after Kent Winslow’s departure a few years before.
Irish formed a booster club and it was able to stabilize the program’s finances. It won a region co-championship and again became a perennial playoff team.
He returned to the Valley to rebuild Westview’s baseball program, which
had been struggling. In 2017, the team posted a winning record for the first time in nearly a decade when the Knights went 15-12-1.
Now he’ll turn his attention to football.
“This past year has been difficult for everyone,” Irish said. “To rejuvenate the (football) program I will have to bring the community back together, literally.
“Westview football has a strong tradition of excellence and I will tap into that when we are able to return. Since I am an on-campus instructor, I know many of the athletes. I also have shared their struggles of the past season,” he said. “I know as a school we need to reunite. One of the defining aspects of Westview athletics is that each team feels like a family. I know that if we can get the family back together we can reestablish the Westview football tradition.”
Irish calls Westview “a special place.” Athletic Director Tonya Lee is grateful to have Irish in charge of the football program.
“Mr. Irish has
dedicated
countless
hours to our baseball program and rebuilding a team culture these past six seasons,” she said in an email. “We are excited for him to use that same energy with our Football team and take over the reins as our Head Football Coach.”
When he told his baseball players in a Zoom meeting that he was stepping down to take over the football program, Irish said many of the players thanked him and wished him the best.
“I was almost glad it was virtual, because if it was in-person I would have broke down even more,” Irish said. “Those are the types of players we have at Westview. That even in the disappointment of losing a coach they reached out to support me and it is that spirit of caring and supporting one another that will help reunite us as a program and a school.”