Marana has hired former Houston standout Phillip Steward, who played under former Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin with the Cougars, as its new head coach.
Steward replaces Louie Ramirez, who stepped down earlier this month to become an assistant coach at a Phoenix-area high school.
Steward is from Missouri City, Texas, a suburb of Houston, where he was an all-state linebacker.
He was with the St. Louis Rams in 2013 and 2014 after signing as a free agent following his career at Houston. He also played in the Fall Experimental Football League and the Canadian Football League.
IT’S OFFICIAL!
Please welcome our new head coach, Phillip Steward!#TigerPride🐯 pic.twitter.com/LyVv1HKpQp
— Marana Tiger Football (@MaranaFB) April 30, 2021
He came to Arizona to join former Arkansas standout and NFL player Alonzo Highsmith Jr. at Willcox. He coached with Highsmith (who resigned before last season) for three years before joining Ramirez’s staff in 2020. He coached outside linebackers and running backs.
Steward moved to Tucson because his fiancée is attending pharmacy school at the University of Arizona.
“Coaching is what I’m destined to do,” Steward said in an interview with AllSportsTucson.com last September. “I like coaching. When I got into it (in 2017 at Willcox), I fell in love with it so I think it is what I want to do.
“I was fortunate to play professionally. I have a lot of insight to give the kids. I like passing it on to the younger generations.”
This is a video interview with Steward before last season:
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