Three varsity head coaches have told administration that they will not be returning to coach in the 2013-14 school year. Two of the coaches – girls’ basketball coach, Richard Trujillo, and boys’ soccer coach, Jim Vanney – have been at their respective positions since the school opened in 2007. Shasta Millhollin, who has been at the helm of the volleyball team since 2010, also turned in her resignation.
Millhollin hoped to bring the team to a new level after taking over for current junior counselor, Kristen Gregg. Last week, Millhollin said that she wanted to build on the foundation that Gregg set in Perry’s infancy. She wanted her teams to have strong chemistry and an even stronger work ethic.
“I’m very great friends with [Gregg] and had similar thoughts on things she shared,” Milhollin said, showing the collaboration between the two coaches.
However, the progress never came to fruition. According to MaxPreps.com, the Pumas won four, three and nine games over her three consecutive seasons of coaching.
She will still teach at PHS, but has already committed to coach at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale.
“I love the [Perry] girls and hate to let them go,” she said. “They’re all great girls and a great team to have. I am truly going to miss these girls.”
Another girls’ coach, Richard Trujillo, is stepping down to spend more time with his family.
He came to the school with a strong head coaching resume and began the program as a title contender. In his first two seasons, he had a record of 41-18 and led the Pumas to playoff appearances twice.
“The players: they are a great group of girls and pushed hard,” Trujillo states. Many of the girls appreciate the goals and influences he attempted to strive for.
He made the Pumas a force to be reckoned with from the jump, and he never let his foot off the pedal when encouraging his team. The last two seasons, however, would frustrate even the most even-tempered coach. His teams went a combined 18-35 and seemed to struggle to do most of the things that made the Pumas a threat in their first three seasons.
Junior center Rachel Amerine said, “It is going to be different [without Trujillo] because I had him my first three years, and he was a great coach.”
Coach Trujillo said, “It’s important to me that I don’t miss their sporting events and I’m there to support [the girls],” showing his support for the team goes beyond his coaching position.
As for Vanney – a well-respected soccer coach whose team finished 10-6, just missing a playoff berth – the resignation surprised a lot of people.
“I heard he was resigning… and he is such a great coach, I really respected him,” states sophomore Zach Johnson.
Under Vanney, the Pumas had a fast-attacking style of play and his teams were always competitive to the last buzzer.
“I’m going to miss the kids, they are who we do it for,” Vanney stated.
“The coaches each had a reason in leaving…it usually deals with family sort of personal [intention],” athletic director Jennifer Burks said. According to Burks, high school coaches resigning is common in all faculty positions, usually involving the staff members’ desire to spend more time with their families, but Vanney stated that the reason he was leaving was because he wanted to pursue another interest.
As for who might replace the coaches, Burks said applications are being collected and possible interviews may be occurring sooner than expected.
“Many applications have been filed,” she said, “and when we receive a nice amount, [applicants] will be interviewed and we will choose from there.”
As of press time, the three jobs were still posted on CUSD’s web site.
