Conner Palluck is a Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication student that is assigned to cover La Joya Community High School for AZPreps365.

Josh Mitchell, the current offensive coordinator at La Joya High School, has had quite the journey throughout his coaching career with the Lobos.

He has gone from being the former head coach for around 20 years, to taking some time off and is now back on the staff as the offensive coordinator. 

Coach Mitchell, who graduated from ASU with his masters in 2012, shared some of the reasoning as to why he left the head coach job at La Joya saying, 

“At the time I was having, not anything major, but just a bunch of minor health problems," he said. "I was dealing with high blood pressure, kidney stones, a bunch of stuff and then at the same time one of my assistant coaches, who had been with me for the better part of a decade passed away.” 

Mitchell continued, “And so I was just kind of emotionally and physically drained and it felt like I needed to take a break.” 

Mitchell had been the head coach at La Joya for years and had gone through ups and downs with the Lobos having some very strong years and other years when the team would struggle. When coach Mitchell left La Joya, he never felt as though he would never return to the sideline saying, 

“When I took that break I didn’t know how long it would be," he said, "but I never thought that I was like retiring forever from football so I figured I would be back at some point. I just didn’t know in what capacity.” 

Mitchell explained that he wanted to be back at La Joya when he did make an eventual return rather than going to a new program.

Then Mitchell began to have conversations with current head coach Adam Beene and the two gained mutual respect for each other. Mitchell offered to Beene that he could return to the staff and after more conversations they decided that he would fit in well as the offensive coordinator. 

Beene knew Mitchell would make the program stronger.

“I enjoy having him because he helps me with the little things," he said. "I also feel comfortable leaving him with the team if I need to have a conversation with the AD (athletic director) or a parent. Without an experienced coach on staff I wouldn’t be comfortable stepping away for a moment to do those things and I would have to hustle from area to area in the past.”

Ivan Vazquez, who is currently the offensive line coach for La Joya, was coached by Mitchell when Vazquez was on the La Joya team himself. Vazquez now works hand in hand with coach Mitchell as Vazquez has to prepare the offensive line with the game plan that Mitchell provides for him. Vazquez commented on the differences between being a player for Mitchell and now being a colleague of his, 

“Experience wise it’s easier speaking to him as a colleague because I understand more now as a coach than I did as a player on what we're supposed to do, what we’re supposed to teach and how we’re supposed to go about teaching things, showing our players how the job gets done," he said. "And I feel like it’s easier to communicate what I want to do and he explains to me what he wants to do and we just make it work together.”

La Joya and coach Beene are definitely in a situation that not many other schools are lucky enough to relate to with having a former head coach back on the staff as an assistant coach. Coach Beene is hoping that the experience that Mitchell brings will help them to work through the slow start to the season and keep the team resilient rather than giving up on the year after a few losses.