Rick Garretson Comes Full Circle, Leaving an Arizona Dynasty to Lead His Alma Mater Into Trinity League Gauntlet

After building Chandler into an Open Division powerhouse, Garretson returns home to Orange County aiming to revive the Servite Friars in the nation’s toughest conference.

Former Chandler coach Rick Garretson has been hired to take over the Servite High School football program in Anaheim, Calif. / Photo: Corey Cross

Rick Garretson’s resume speaks for itself.

From Chandler’s Championship Machine to a New Challenge

He was pivotal in the beginning of Chandler High School’s dominant run in the Arizona 6A Conference, when the Wolves won four state titles in five seasons under head coach Shaun Aguano from 2014-18. When Aguano departed to become the running backs coach at Arizona State, Garretson was asked to step in. 

Why Servite Was the One Job He Couldn’t Turn Down

He said it was a position he wasn’t searching for initially. It just so happened to fall into his lap. But he ran with it and continued the tradition set by Aguano during his eight seasons: Makoa – family in Hawaiian – and a hard-nosed, dominant brand of football. 

“We just had such a great setup,” Garretson said of Chandler. “We built relationships with the kids, coaches and admin. Then coaching under Shaun during that time, I learned so much and it was a time that has had a lot of impact on me and my family.

“It’s a special place.”

Garretson didn’t skip a beat with Chandler when he took over in 2019. The Wolves went 13-0 and won the first-ever Open Division State Championship over a loaded Saguaro team coached by Jason Mohns, who is now on Kenny Dillingham’s staff at Arizona State. 

A Covid-shortened season resulted in another Open Division championship for the Wolves in 2020 over rival Hamilton. A year later in 2021, things began to shift. 

More teams became competitive, most notably Liberty in Peoria and nearby Basha. Saguaro upset the Lions in the Open Division semifinals in 2021 then went on to beat Chandler in the title game, keeping the Wolves from winning their fifth straight championship in a row. 

Chandler made two more trips to the Open Division playoffs in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, in a season where the Wolves were young and riddled with injuries, they fell to Perry in the opening round of the 6A tournament. 

It was at that time that Garretson decided to step away from coaching. It was a hard decision but one he felt was right at the time. Chandler went on to hire former Horizon, Desert Vista and Millard South (Neb.) coach Ty Wisdom. 

“It’s missed but ultimately we all move on,” Garretson said. “I talked to Ty (Wisdom) quite a bit. Seeing him have success and beating the rival (Hamilton) when it really mattered, it was great. Those kids work hard and you know, (quarterback Will Mencl) is pretty good.” 

A year away from the sidelines was good for Garretson. He stayed in touch with Wisdom. He offered advice when asked and learned some things, too. When the Wolves made a run to the Open Division final, he cheered them on.

He missed coaching but had no plans to return. That is, until an opportunity fell into his lap. And just like in 2019, he couldn’t refuse. 

“If something comes your way that's important to you, I'm the type of guy that is going to go ahead and go in that direction,” Garretson said. “It’s kind of the same way that Chandler came about. It was just something that transpired and Servite is special.” 

Bringing Makoa Culture — And New Traditions — to Anaheim

On Feb. 12, Garretson was announced as the new head coach at Servite High School in Anaheim, Calif., his alma mater. He said it didn’t take too much convincing to get his wife, Wendy, to be on board with him returning to coaching, let alone moving to California. 

She, like Garretson, knew Servite wasn’t just another coaching opportunity. 

Former Chandler High coach Rick Garretson was hired to lead the Servite football program in California. / Photo: Servite High School

The Friars’ program holds a special place in his heart. He kickstarted his playing career for the Friars and was an All-CIF selection as a senior before he went on to play at San Diego State. He returned to Servite as a teacher and coach where he remained for 15 years before making the move to Arizona. 

During his time as a coach at Servite, he was responsible for teaching the Hut Drill, a tradition that dates back decades and is one of the most recognized pregame traditions by any football program at any level in the United States. 

Now Garretson has the opportunity to relive that tradition and teach it to the next generation of Servite players. He also plans to instill some of the tradition from Chandler. 

“We have a large Polynesian population here, more than Chandler,” Garretson said. “So I’m excited about that. We may bring the Haka and things like that. It’s something Servite has done before.”

Entering the Trinity League’s Shifting Power Structure

Garretson knows the challenge coaching at Servite presents. 

The Premier Region in Arizona, which included Chandler, Hamilton and Basha – which all had their reign as top teams in the state and country at times – was the most competitive region in Arizona. The Open Division has been rated among the top 10 hardest postseason tournaments by MaxPreps since its inception. 

But the Trinity League in California is a different animal. 

Multi-time national champions Mater Dei and St. John Bosco ran the Trinity League for years up until last fall. That’s when the Carson Palmer-led Santa Margarita took over as the top dog. Orange Lutheran, a team Garretson and Chandler dethroned from the top 25 ranks in 2023, upset St. John Bosco in the opening round of the playoffs. 

It was the first time since 2015 neither powerhouse has been in the California Open Division title game. Servite finished fourth in the Trinity League last season, knocking off Orange Lutheran and JSerra Catholic in the regular season. 

“(The Trinity League) has changed a little bit,” Garretson said. “Margarita won three games three years ago and Carson has turned that thing around. There’s a new coach at Servite, a new coach at Orange Lutheran and there’s going to be a new coach at JSerra. Carson is in his second year and (Mater Dei coach) Raul Lara has been there two years. Jason Negro (Bosco) is the elder statesman.” 

Garretson doesn’t take his time at Chandler with a grain of salt. The love he has for that program remains at a fever pitch and he was ecstatic to see the Wolves have success this past season.

Even as his focus now shifts to Servite, he still has Arizona high school football and the connections he made on his mind. 

Rekindling West Coast vs. Arizona Showdowns

He used those connections to schedule Centennial next fall. The Coyotes, who have been to two straight 6A Conference championship games, will make the trip to Anaheim in September to face Servite. It will be the second time in program history Centennial faces off against a Trinity League program. In 2019, the Coyotes hosted Mater Dei. 

Talent, Buy-in And the Path Forward

Garretson said he feels good about the talent the Friars have coming back next season, as well as the influx of talent coming in as freshmen. His first meeting with the team and parents was met with plenty of support. 

Now it’s all about translating that support into wins in the toughest conference in the nation at a school that started everything for him. 

“It’s a full-circle moment for me,” Garretson said. “It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to the challenges of the Trinity League and to see what we can make happen.”