No. 1 Vern Friedli
School: Amphitheater
Years in coaching: 1976-2011
Local record: 288-141-1
Achievements: Any debate on who belongs on the Arizona’s Mount Rushmore of high school football coaches would have to include Friedli, who is one name synonymous with winning in the Grand Canyon State. The National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee won a state-record 331 games, and had coaching stops at Casa Grande, Morenci and San Manuel before his arrival at Amphitheater. It took Friedli just 11 seasons to reach 100 career wins and, over 36 years, he guided the Panthers to 28 playoff appearances, including 10 trips to the semifinals and three title game berths. Friedli’s team in 1979, which went 13-0 and beat Mesa 27-0 in the Class 3A final, is the last from Southern Arizona to win a championship in the state’s largest division. Under Friedli, Amphi made the playoffs 18 straight years from 1981-98, and had 12 seasons with at least 10 wins. Friedli, who also led Morenci to the state finals in 1973, tied the Arizona record for coaching victories (309) in 2008 with a 48-6 win over Douglas. The result also secured Amphi’s first trip to the playoffs in three years. In the season opener the next fall, the Panthers topped Marana 21-0 to give their coach the state record. In 2001, a decade before Friedli stepped down, the district named Amphi’s football field after him.
Memorable moment: Although it is tough to narrow down, Friedli is most fond of Amphi’s close win over Glendale Apollo in the 1979 state semifinals at Sun Devil Stadium. With the Panthers leading 7-3 and less than two minutes to play, the Hawks had a first down with the ball on Amphi’s 2-yard line following an earlier fumble by Arlen Bethay. But Friedli’s defense held up strong for four straight plays to preserve the win. One play after linebacker Robbie Lieurance shot through the gap to throw Apollo for a 1-yard loss, safety Randy German took the Hawks for another loss on fourth-and-2. Apollo took an early lead on a field goal in the first quarter but Bethay rushed for a two-yard touchdown to put the Panthers up for good. He had 25 carries for 122 yards in the win.
From the archives: “I’ve told my wife how inspirational these kids are to me, and that the reason I coach high school football isn’t to win games, or to make a lot of money, but to try to help and influence the kids to do things the right way, the way Coach Friedli taught me 20 years ago. If I can leave even 10 percent of the legacy that coach Friedli left, I’ll be happy.” – Ironwood Ridge coach Matt Johnson, who played for Friedli, in the Nov. 25, 2012 Arizona Daily Star
Big number: 7. Friedli had 38 players go on to play at four-year schools including seven who went on to play professionally. Brothers Mario and Michael Bates, of course, headline the list and joining them are Jeff Colter, Jon Volpe, Riki (Gray) Ellison, Sam Merriman and Steve Doolitle. Mario Bates still holds the single-season 5A rushing record with 2,740 yards while Michael Bates went on to become an Olympic bronze medalist in 1992. Both spent several seasons playing in the NFL. Ellison won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers during his time in the pros.
