Tempe – The “State of Athletics Today” hangs behind Tommy Eubanks as he sits behind his new desk. A document, written over 50 years ago by his great grandfather, that is more than a symbolic reminder of his family history.

“My grandfather was in the same position I am now, 60 years ago,” said Eubanks, the new Desert Vista Athletic Director. “The reason the document hits home is because it speaks to the things I deal with every day.”

If you go back far enough in the Eubanks ancestry, you see teaching and coaching is the family business - a trade Eubanks has always been associated with and has grown to love.

Five years ago Eubanks changed gears from a Physical Education teacher and middle school coach to assistant principal of Chaparral High School. The change had mostly involved his family.

“Back when I was teaching… coaching cross country and coaching junior high basketball, I was also delivering pizzas five nights a week so my wife could stay home with the kids,” Eubanks said.

Although he misses coaching, Eubanks is happy with the transition he made to school administration. Eubanks prefers administration to coaching to stay involved with helping to improve school facilities. “Something I have always been passionate about is facilities and facility improvement,” Eubanks said.

Eubanks looks forward to working with Desert Vista’s previous Athletic Director, T.J. Snyder, whom he hopes to learn from. The five years spent at Chaparral gave Eubanks the foundation of administration and athletic director experience, but in his opinion, you have to learn the systems and specific pieces to each new school.

“The last thing I want to do is come into a really successful athletic school, like Desert Vista, and just try to change everything that has already been working. I am kind of sitting back, learning how things work here and possibly implement some of my own ideas.”

Eubanks’s goals as athletic director are not driven by winning championships, but by breeding well-rounded student-athletes. Specifically, creating balanced lives where students learn time management, work ethic, and teamwork that will lead them to excel farther than the classroom. “Wins and losses will happen and, of course, it is important to have a winning attitude. I think everyone has the passion to win here but the thing that is really nice is we are all on the same page on why we want successful programs,” Eubanks said.

Eubanks has already made a known impact on Desert Vista, “We are all so impressed with him here,” said Eubanks assistant Susan Slavin.