RIO RICO, Arizona — It's a picturesque day in the Santa Cruz Valley, and turnaround artist Jeff Scurran presides over a Rio Rico practice.
The legendary local football coach was talked into taking over at Rio Rico by superintendent David Verdguo, who once played for him when he coached at Canyon del Oro.
"I've always loved the culture and this area," said Scurran. "We have a house in Sonoita that we've come to for years. We've enjoyed it down here and it just felt like the right thing to do."
Scurran takes over a winless Hawks team the way he took over a winless Catalina Foothills team a decade ago. Scurran would take the Falcons to a state title game. He's known for taking Pima College to a Bowl Game and winning three state titles at Sabino in the 1990s.
"I learned a lot of good things about him," said senior Jessie Octavio-Callejo, who's wrestling coach once played for Scurran. "He treats us with respect. We respect him. He respects us back."
"Everyone asks me if kids are different," said Scurran. "Kids are the same. The entire world around them has changed."
Scurran would love to win for the Rio Rico community the he has for others in the past.
"I love learning about their culture," said Scurran. "Just their pride in what they do and how the raise their children and their work ethic. And, for their work ethic to mean something and produce athletic results."
