With football season officially rolling at both Fountain Hills High School and Fountain Hills Middle School, it is a good time to check in with the new faces that will be coaching the Falcons for this unique 2020 season.

FHHS Football has a mixture of eight coaches with a combined 85-plus years of coaching experience. Within that group of eight there are two former high school head coaches, one former NFL player, and five coaches who have played college football.

Head Coach Jason Henslin said he is very encouraged by the staff assembled at the high school.

“We’ve had a lot of great coaches throughout the years but this year's staff is really special,” Henslin explained. “The mixture of guys with different experiences in football and life has made for a lot of engaging meetings over the last six months."

Henslin said he is not just excited about the wealth of football experience within his new staff, he also feels this group of men will be great role models for the 55 players in the high school program.

"Adding coaches like Jimmy Curtis, Chris Washington and Jimmy Brady, who have experience working with troubled youth and running teen outreach groups, is huge,” Henslin said. “Not to mention the added benefit of additional coaches who are also already FHUSD employees will help Coach Salzman and I support our students socially, emotionally and academically."

At Fountain Hills Middle School, the program is also stacked with overall coaching experience, even if it's not all football coaching.

Rich Barnard will be leading the FHMS team for the second year after many years of coaching youth football, basketball and baseball here in town. Joining his staff are Jeff Bonner and Bruce Keating. Both Bonner and Keating's names should be familiar, as they have already coached within the Falcon community, albeit in a different sport.

"I grew up playing football and have always been a huge fan of the sport,” Bonner said. “I'm excited to expand my coaching into football, which will also give me the chance to get to know the middle school guys before I coach them in basketball next spring."

For Keating, this will be his 20th season coaching sports within the district. For 15 years he was an assistant basketball coach with FHHS, including being a part of three back-to-back state championship teams (2006-2008).

"I've coached basketball and flag football over the years and, after a couple of years off, I'm ready to get back at it,” Keating said. “My passion in coaching is helping these young men gain confidence and understand they can achieve a lot through hard work and having fun."

FHHS football’s first game of the season will be at home on Oct. 2 against Chino Valley starting at 7 p.m.