Pat Nugent retires from coaching after 34 years, 27 as head coach

Legendary coach Pat Nugent, a 22-year head coaching veteran at the high school level who won his first state championship this season with Mica Mountain, submitted a resignation letter today to the school’s administration.

He is retiring after 34 years overall of coaching.

“It’s never an easy decision but after 34 years of coaching and 27 as a head coach, and after the most memorable season of my careerm it is time to retire from coaching,” Nugent, 58, wrote in the letter. “I am very proud of the many achievements in my career and especially of the past four years building the Mica Mountain football program into a State Champion.

“These accomplishments were made possible through the hard work of dedicated players, coaches, administrators and parents who took tremendous pride in representing Mica Mountain and the Vail School District. It has been a long run with many memories of great players and coaches but it is time to spend more time with my wife, my children, and 5 grandkids. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this tremendous journey.”

Nugent, a student manager at Arizona under Larry Smith and Dick Tomey from 1986-89, started his coaching career when he was an assistant at Rincon/University in 1990 under Lance Prickett.

He then became an assistant coach at Flowing Wells under John Kashner before his head coaching stints in high school at Flowing Wells, CDO, Cienega and Mica Mountain. He also coached five years at Pima College from 2009-13.

The ultimate experience was his last game — the 42-13 win over Chandler AZ College Prep in the 4A state championship game, finishing the season with a perfect 14-0 record.

His high school coaching record is 172-66.

No official replacement has yet to be named for Nugent at Mica Mountain, although multiple sources have mentioned that former Sabino coach Jay Campos — Mica Mountain’s Vice Principal of Interscholastics — will likely become the new head coach.

As Sabino’s football coach from 2003 to 2016, Campos led the Sabercats to four state championship games. His record in his 14 years as Sabino’s coach was 133-35.

He served as the athletic director at Sabino from 2016-17 to 2019-20 before moving to Mica Mountain.

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In recent years, some of Southern Arizona’s high school coaching titans have moved on from being a head coach, including Dennis Bene, Richard Sanchez, Mark Brunenkant, Jeff Scurran, Dustin Peace, Jorge Mendivil (two weeks ago) and now Nugent.

Their high school coaching records:

Scurran 262-96-2, 30 years

Bene 184-44, 19 years

Nugent 172-66, 22 years

Sanchez 162-86, 22 years

Mendivil 126-106, 23 years

Peace 119-50, 15 years

Brunenkant 105-122, 22 years (trying to rebuild programs at Douglas, Catalina Foothills and Flowing Wells)

That’s a combined 1,130 career victories no longer on the sidelines in a head-coaching role.

Mountain View’s Matt Johnson is now the current leader in career victories with a 138-90 record in 21 seasons as a head coach.

Campos will be next at 133.

PAT NUGENT HIGH SCHOOL CAREER COACHING RECORD